Operation Jasper
by Jana Grace
Summary: Annabeth Chase never really had a whole 'operation' to set a up a couple before. Sure, she had her obsessions, and those obsessions led to a bunch of things, such as secret photo albums and the proud achievement of ultimate stalker status. (And, in one case, a scrapbook.) But there's just something about Jason Grace and Piper McLean that makes her slightly more obsessed than usual.
1. Chapter 1

**AHHHHHH YOU GUYS I'M SORRY I'M OBSESSED WITH JASPER HIGH SCHOOL AU'S DON'T ASK WHY I HAVE PROBLEMS**

**... hi guys. It's me. (No, it's Bob, her fire-breathing, rainbow-vomiting pet unicorn.)**

**So, yes, I do really love Jasper high school AU's. Maybe it's just the fact that I feel like there's a lack of Jasper-centric high school stories ... it's mostly Percabeth this, Percabeth that, Percabeth oh-my-freaking-gods. Don't get me wrong; I love Percabeth to death. It's the _it couple_ of the whole book series. But ... I dunno, I just don't really like reading Percabeth fanfictions. (I usually read fanfictions that include Piper. Okay, they always include Piper.) I really love high school AU's, but most of them are centered around Percabeth. Which I'm not particularly content with.**

**Yeah, this is a Jasper-centric high school AU. Quite possibly cliche. (Reyna and Jason rule student government, stuff like that.)**

**I am in _MIDDLE SCHOOL_. I know nothing about high school, so if I get something wrong then DO NOT JUDGE ME. Or tell me what it's supposed to be. Whatever.**

**There is some Percabeth, seeing as Annabeth is one of the main characters. (Annabeth plays major matchmaker here, she may be OOC.) There will be three different POV's: Annabeth, Jason, Piper. In that order. (And for some reason, I can completely imagine Annabeth with glasses.)**

**I hereby present _Operation Jasper._**

* * *

><p>Contrary to popular belief, Annabeth Chase hated school.<p>

It wasn't really the whole learning part. She loved learning, she really did. She was incredibly smart, a straight-A student, always favored by teachers. It was mostly the students there. Honestly, she thought they were complete idiots. They were rude, and they completely lacked common sense. With projects came partners, and with "partners" came a boatload of work for Annabeth. She wasn't even sure if her weekends classified as weekends anymore.

There were some rather likable students, though. There was her boyfriend, Percy Jackson, with the messiest black hair and the most gorgeous green eyes. A bit of an idiot, though he could prove to be intelligent at times. The two met during a science project in their sophomore year, and unlike her other project partners, he'd actually tried to help her.

Key word: _tried_.

They both ended up with a C, but Annabeth was actually okay with it. Because he _tried_, and when he tried, he was adorable. The two hit it off, and they were still dating through their senior year.

Then, there was Jason Grace and his girlfriend, Reyna Ramirez. (Her full name was Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, but you called her that and you were dead.) They were Annabeth's best friends, and they also ruled student government. There was also Frank Zhang (he was as cuddly as a teddy bear), Hazel Levesque (she was an absolute sweetheart, Frank's girlfriend too), and Leo Valdez (he flirted too much and always looked like he drank 600 too many coffees). Occasionally, a few others hung around. Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Katie Gardner, Nico di Angelo, Travis and Connor Stoll. They were pretty cool.

Majority of the students really were idiots, though. Like Drew Tanaka, who wore roughly ten pounds of makeup, and Dylan Ventum, who was cockier than was healthy for him. They led that stereotypical popular clique, the one full of complete ditzes, the most idiotic students in the entire school.

And, not to mention, she was also in student government with Jason and Reyna, and they had already started planning a huge Halloween party. Annabeth was in charge of decoration and the costume contest.

Five weeks into her senior year and she was already tired of it.

Needless to say that when unnaturally loud Panic! at the Disco music woke her up at 4:00 in the morning, she was pretty pissed off.

She groaned and took her phone, turning off her alarm, greatly contemplating on whether or not she should change her alarm to something less jarring. Normally, she wouldn't have woken up that early. 5:00, usually. Reyna had emailed everyone in student government late last night about some early meeting at 6:00, and Annabeth's stepmother had also asked her to do some grocery shopping before school. She also still had some leftover homework, the last three paragraphs of an essay on the Renaissance, and she had to pack lunch for her stepbrothers, Matthew and Bobby. She also had to look over her notes for the Halloween party before the meeting.

It was all a hassle, really. _Life _was a hassle.

She chugged down a glass of orange juice and nibbled on some toast, turning on her laptop. She opened up her essay and read over it, pulling her blonde curls into a messy bun. She had changed into a Goode hoodie and gray sweatpants, tucking the bottoms into her Ugg boots. Her glasses (Percy called them _nerd _glasses) were pushed onto her face. It was slightly more presentable than her baggy Hello Kitty pajamas._  
><em>

She ended up getting stuck on the concluding paragraph, so she opened up her decoration notes and looked over them. She exhaled slowly, scrolling through all of them; an awful lot of them included "ask Reyna."

_Bats and cobwebs hanging from the ceiling (ask Reyna) ... dark, candles are the only source of light (ask Reyna) ... skulls at food tables (ask Reyna) ... person outside in costume who scares people (ask Reyna) ..._

It's not that she was scared of Reyna. She really shouldn't have been, because they were best friends and Annabeth was older than her by a year, but Reyna could be rather frightening when you got on her bad side.

Okay, so maybe Annabeth was scared of her, but that was beside the point. Jason wasn't nearly as bad. He was pretty chill, pretty laid back, _especially_ compared to his girlfriend.

It was then that she got more inspiration for her essay, and she finished it before checking on her costume contest notes. It was pretty well organized, though she was rather nervous to share them with Reyna, who had no idea what she was planning.

She ended up done at about 5:00, so she grabbed her phone and her credit card and was out the door, driving away in her silver Prius.

There was practically nobody at Walmart. Naturally, Annabeth expected it. Nobody in their right mind should have been up that early. She found one adorable elderly couple strolling through the bedding section, fawning over unnaturally vibrant covers, and a young man looking through some laptops. He actually broke one of the samples, but Annabeth decided not to mention it.

"Boo."

Annabeth screamed, jumping and sending her cart straight into the salad shelf. Her phone dropped to the linoleum floor, protected by only a technicolor Mickey Mouse case. Breathing heavily, she turned, only to find her boyfriend standing there in blue plaid pajama pants and a large gray shirt, eyes wide.

"Percy, you idiot!" She shrieked. "You almost scared me to death! And -_ god_, Percy - I need that phone!"

"Sorry," Percy apologized sincerely, biting his lip. He bent down and picked up Annabeth's phone, turning it over in his hands and examining it for any scratches or cracks. "It seems okay, I don't see anything wrong with it ..."

"Thank you, sir," Annabeth replied sarcastically, snatching back her phone. She examined it herself before looking back at Percy, who looked completely sorry. Annabeth sighed and wrapped her arms around his tensed figure. "Hey, it's okay, you just scared me a bit."

Percy slackened."So ... I'm assuming you're here for groceries."

"Yep."

"Ah. Paul wanted me to buy some school supplies."

"This early in the morning?"

"Well, no, but I took the opportunity."

Annabeth nodded. Paul Blofis, Percy's stepfather, was a teacher at Goode. Both Annabeth and Percy actually had him in their sophomore year, and he was a pretty cool guy. Annabeth saw him pretty often, anyway, since she usually ate dinner with Percy and his family.

Annabeth pulled away slightly and pecked Percy on the lips, looking into his beautiful eyes. "Well, if you're buying school supplies and I'm buying an unnaturally large amount of lettuce, then we need to split up."

Percy pouted. "Awww, what's the fun in that? I've got time. Plus, don't you have that student gov meeting at 6?"

"... Jason told you?"

"You bet. I'm not in a rush, but you are, so I'm going to help you get that unnaturally large amount of lettuce."

Annabeth threw her head back and laughed. "Sure."

"Here! I heard the screaming over here!"

Both Annabeth and Percy turned. Annabeth saw the elderly couple she had seen earlier, the woman pointing at her. A Walmart employee stood behind them.

"Oh, no." Annabeth grinned nervously. "No, nothing's wrong. It's just, my boyfriend snuck up on me and I kind of screamed, so ... yeah, really, nothing's wrong, we're okay." Percy smiled sheepishly beside her.

"Oh." The old lady relaxed and smiled. "Aw, you two are just _adorable_! Reminds me of when Bobby and I were youngsters ..."

Annabeth looked at Percy, who seemed utterly confused, and giggled.

* * *

><p>Annabeth burst into F-5. "Gah! Sorry, I know I'm late, Percy and I ran into some trouble."<p>

"I bet you did." Jason wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Annabeth blanched. "Uh, that's not what I meant."

"You sure about that?"

Reyna cleared her throat. "Jason. Enough." She nodded at Annabeth, her lips forming a tight line. "Hello, Annabeth. Glad you could make it."

Annabeth took her bag off her shoulder and pulled a chair out, hanging her bag on the corner. She blew a loose strand of hair out of her face and sat down next to Gwen. "Glad I could too."

"Yeah, because I'm pretty sure you wanted to keep doing what you were doing with Percy." Jason was smirking evilly, leaning back in his chair. His blue eyes had a mischievous glint.

"Oh, shut up!"

She shut her eyes briefly and opened them to find something weird. Reyna was staring quizzically at Annabeth's chest, an eyebrow raised.

"Um ..." Annabeth started awkwardly. "Something you need, Reyna?"

Reyna simply looked up at her, clasping her hands together. "Your clothes are rather interesting."

Suddenly self-conscious, Annabeth looked down. It was then that she realized that she was still in her hoodie and her sweatpants and her Uggs, her glasses lopsided, many strands of hair having fallen out of her bun. She blushed slightly, looking up at Reyna. "Sorry. I guess I was in a rush, I forgot to change."

Reyna merely shrugged, unclasping her hands and clasping them again. "Anyway, we were just about to go onto decoration. Have you finalized your plans?"

"Er, well, I have some notes, and a few questions ..." Annabeth turned and grabbed her laptop out of her bag, opening it and typing in her password. She opened up her notes and scrolled through them, looking for the most recent ones, the ones that Reyna had yet to approve.

Annabeth turned the laptop toward Reyna and let her scroll through it. Annabeth bit her lip and tapped her fingers against the table anxiously, waiting for Reyna to say something.

"You seem tense," Reyna said without looking up.

"What?"

"Everybody can tell." Reyna looked up. "What's wrong?"

Annabeth exhaled. "I'm just a little nervous that, you know, you won't like my ... ideas ..."

Reyna's eyes widened. "Why would you be nervous? Annabeth, these ideas are absolutely brilliant. The dance is going to be amazing." She smiled at Annabeth, who relaxed. "Now, Jason, how's the food coming along?"

"Well-"

"Feet off the table, sweetheart."

Annabeth giggled and Jason, who was slowly removing his feet from the table, glared at her. "As I was saying, I talked to Sally-"

"Miss Jackson."

"She prefers Sally," Jason said dryly, arching an eyebrow at Reyna.

Reyna opened her mouth to say what seemed like a sassy comeback, but her voice caught in her throat. "Okay."

"Continuing on, _Sally_ kindly agreed to bake us some Halloween cookies."

"How is she supposed to bake enough for the entire school?" Reyna asked. "Jason, we have over 2,000 students here."

"She's Sally. She can do that."

"But I feel like that's too much-"

"She can do it."

Reyna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay. Continue."

"Sally is going to bake a boatload of Halloween cookies and she's going to be okay with it. I was thinking cake pops with edible legs and eyes. They look like spiders."

"Isn't that a little a childish?"

"Whatever. I'm doing it anyway. You know those 'pig in a blanket' thingys? We could wrap them so they look like mummies."

"I think that-"

"God, Reyna, shut up!"

"Excuse me?"

Jason stood up. "You're denying everything I say! _Everything_!"

"Well, I don't believe that they're-"

"We're co-presidents, Reyna! I'm not your slave, and you're not the boss of me! I'm sick and tired of you telling me what to do, telling me that this is wrong or that's stupid, all that crap!"

Reyna looked about ready to cry, and that was rare. She was Reyna Ramirez - crying was not something she did often. Her bottom lip trembled, and her eyes were teary and red. "Meeting adjourned."

"But it's early-" Gwen tried, but Reyna cut her off.

"No. Just go. Enjoy your free time." Reyna grabbed her bag and walked out of the room briskly, shutting the door behind her. The rest of student government followed, and soon it was just Jason and Annabeth.

"Jason, I really don't think that was necessary. I mean, I guess she was being a little-"

"Bye, Annabeth." He shouldered his bag and walked out. Annabeth quickly gathered up her things and sped out of the door. Jason was pretty far ahead, so she had to run to catch up with him.

"Thanks for leaving me."

"You're welcome."

"It's _sarcasm_, Jason."

"I know."

"What was that?" Annabeth demanded. "Why would you do that?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Annie."

"First of all, don't call me that. Second, I'm your best friend. You can tell me."

Jason sighed. "I don't know. It's just ... we're breaking apart. Too many fights. Too many times when she's telling me to do things. I can't stand her anymore."

"... what happened?"

"I don't think anything really happened. It was just ... a gradual thing. We just grew apart." He turned to the nearest locker and slammed his fist into it. "I loved her. Really, I did. It's just ..."

"I get it." Annabeth wrapped her arms around him, slowly. She leaned into his chest. "I do. It's okay."

* * *

><p>"Jason Grace and Annabeth Chase, please report to the office."<p>

Annabeth met Jason's eyes; he looked utterly confused. They'd forgotten the whole Reyna situation and just decided to enjoy the rest of the day. They both stood and walked out the room, slowly, when Annabeth got a text from Percy.

_**hey. there's a new student. i need to take a test, so paul wants you two to give her a tour. she's in the f-wing. love you**_

Annabeth replied quickly.

**okay. going now. love you xx**

"There's a new student," she said, looking up at Jason.

"Okay."

"Percy said she's in the F-Wing."

"Okay."

"_She_. It's a girl. What do you think she's like?"

Jason tilted his head slightly, sticking his hands into his pockets. "Well, looking at majority of the current generation, I'd say that she's a prissy prep type of girl, the one who walks with excessive hip movements and is always posting stupid selfies on Instagram and all that crap."

"So you're saying ... mini-Drew?"

"Pretty much."

"Seems legit."

Jason opened the door to the F-Wing hall, insisting that Annabeth walk in first - _"Ladies first"_ - and they stood together, honestly surprised to _not _see "a prissy prep type of girl, the one who walks with excessive hip movements and is always posting stupid selfies on Instagram and all that crap."

She was pretty, definitely, but in a different, more natural way. She wasn't wearing ten pounds of makeup - she wasn't wearing _any_ makeup - and judging by her clothes and the way her hair was cut, she didn't really care what she looked like.

Annabeth turned to Jason, whose eyes were wide. "Whoa ..."

"Whoa what?" The girl demanded.

"What?" Jason said. He blinked. "Gah, never mind. I'm Jason Grace." He stuck out his hand.

The girl shook it hesitantly, staring at him suspiciously. "Piper."

"You have a last name, Piper?" Annabeth asked, crossing her arms.

Piper smiled slightly. "I'll tell you when I feel like it. How about you?"

"Annabeth Chase." She nodded at Piper.

"All right." Piper clapped her hands together. "So, you two are supposed to be my tour guides. Shall we start the tour?"

Annabeth grinned. She liked this girl. "We shall."

* * *

><p><strong>if anybody got that unintentional panic! at the disco reference then i love you bye<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**HOLY COW I LOVE YOU GUYS. 16 FAVORITES AND 26 FOLLOWS WITH THE ****_FIRST CHAPTER_****? AHHHHHHHHHH YOU GUYS ARE SERIOUSLY FREAKING AMAZING.**

**A couple of replies to reviews:**

**Reyco4Life: You'll see some Leo in this chapter. :)**

**GreekGirl F (and Reyco4Life): Yay, middle school buddies! I'm in sixth grade. For a child that's barely eleven years old (yes, this story, along with all my other stories, was first created when I was 10 years old, no joke), my language is rather ... vulgar, I suppose.**

**And to everybody else, thank you _so _much for your positive reviews! YOU MAKE ME SO HAPPYYYYYY. I've always wanted to have one of those really popular fanfics!**

**Sorry I'm late, by the way. Hint of writer's block. This is Jason's POV, and I'm really excited to write the third chapter - Piper! (BTW, I'm making Goode more fancy-looking than it should be.)**

**Let's get started with the next chapter of ****_Operation Jasper_****!**

* * *

><p>Great. Another meeting.<p>

Jason did enjoy being co-student body president. It was fun, and the meetings were fun.

But, Reyna had been calling meetings a little excessively, and Jason was tired.

"Get out of bed, you idiot, before Reyna kills you."

Meet Thalia Grace.

Thalia was Jason's older sister. The only thing they really had in common was their eyes, both a blue color - though, Thalia's had more of an electrifying spark, while Jason's were calmer, like the sky. Aside from that, they were completely different. Thalia's hair was spiky, jet black, and Jason's was blonde and messy. Thalia had a visible splash of freckles across her nose, and Jason _didn't_.

Their eyes told a lot about their personality, too. Thalia was excitable, aggressive, and Jason was chill, calm, serious, though outwardly crazy and hilarious when he felt like it.

Jason groaned. "Five more minutes?"

"No," Thalia replied firmly. She stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, dressed in her normal "Death to Barbie" tank top, distressed black jeans, and black sneakers, her jacket tied around her waist. Her black leather backpack was slung over her shoulder, covered in Green Day buttons. (She was 20 and she attended the local college.) Black bracelets adorned her right wrist, and she'd added on a Green Day guitar pick necklace. She was attractive in that rebellious, hardcore sort of way.

"Why not?" Jason complained.

"Because."

"That's not a valid answer." He drew out the last word, slurring the phrase.

"You sound drunk."

"Thank you," he said into his pillow.

Thalia rolled her eyes and walked over. She ripped the blanket away from Jason and completely pushed him off the bed, resulting in an annoyed "_oof_."

"What was that for?"

"For being stupid."

Jason snorted and pushed himself up. "Gee, thanks."

"Welcome, little bro." She ruffled his hair, adjusting her backpack strap. "Gotta go. Luke's waiting outside." She turned and walked out of Jason's room, turning down the hall.

"Don't do anything inappropriate!" Jason called after her.

Thalia promptly stuck her head back in and flipped him off.

Jason grinned slyly. "Love you too."

Thalia rolled her eyes and smiled, walking away. "Remember, Leo's coming over after school! Clean up a bit, you big dope. And, you might want to check the time. Not my fault you wouldn't wake up."

Jason arched an eyebrow and turned towards his alarm clock.

5:50.

"_Shit_!"

* * *

><p>"Why are <em>you <em>up so early?"

"Student gov meeting. You?"

"No reason, really." Leo grinned at Jason, who rolled his eyes in return. "So, I'm coming over later, right? I need to chill."

Jason sighed, adjusting the strap of his backpack. "Yeah." He continued walking until he found the door to F-5. "Gotta go. See you in bio."

"See ya, bro." Leo stuck his hands in his pockets and walked away, whistling. "Hey, word's been going around, I heard there's a new girl coming! Imma bet you ten dollars that she's hot!"

"Whatever!" Jason smiled and opened the door to F-5. Despite a broken toaster, a wardrobe malfunction, and a walk with Leo, he'd still managed to make it on time. Most of the people were there already - Reyna, of course. Gwen, Katie, Nyssa, Will, Larry, Hank, Dakota, all but Annabeth, which Jason thought was kind of unusual.

"Where's Annabeth?" Katie asked, voicing Jason's thoughts.

"Not sure," Reyna replied without looking up from the pile of papers on her desk. Even for someone like Reyna, Jason thought the pile was truly _gigantic_; it had to consist of over a thousand papers at least.

"Damn, Reyna, what's in that pile?"

Jason's eyes shot toward Dakota, who, just as Katie did, had just voiced his thoughts.

"What do you _think_?" Reyna said dully, still looking through the papers. "Notes, reviews, tutorials. The usual."

"The usual pile isn't bigger than you are," Gwen added, and several people muttered agreements.

"I'm doing what needs to be done, but if you all are so intent on me _not _doing my job, then so be it." Reyna scoots the pile over to the corner of the table and clasps her hands together, straightening her posture. She looks expectantly at Jason. "Well? Sit."

Jason grabbed onto his chair next to Reyna and pulled it out, sitting in it awkwardly. "So."

Reyna tapped the table. "So."

"Er ..." Jason rubbed the back of his neck. "What'd you eat for breakfast?"

Reyna cleared her throat. "I didn't have breakfast." Jason arched an eyebrow, and she sighed. "Not enough time."

"Not enough time?" Jason demanded. "What time did you wake up?"

"Somewhere around ... 2, perhaps?"

"_What_?"

"I had things to do."

"Reyna, you need to stop! You're working too much! You're not sleeping, you're not eating, really, a stupid Halloween party isn't as important as your health! I mean, seriously! You can't keep going on like this."

"It's nice to know that you care. I'll think about it."

Jason groaned and leaned back in his chair. The rest of student government stayed silent. Gwen's eyes darted between the fighting couple, her dark irises filled with worry. She was the matchmaker, after all. She'd made the two realize that their feelings were a little ... _stronger _than they thought. Unfortunately, those feelings had seemed to be fading recently, with all the fights and the arguments. Gwen had all the right to be concerned._  
><em>

It was that moment that Annabeth chose to burst into the room.

"Gah! Sorry, I know I'm late, Percy and I ran into some trouble."

Jason felt obligated to tease her. She was like his sister, after all, and teasing seemed to be common for most siblings. He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. "I bet you did."

Annabeth paled, eyes widening. "Uh, that's not what I meant."

He raised his eyebrows. "You sure about that?"

"Jason. Enough." Jason's eyes darted toward Reyna, who took a split second to glare at him before nodding toward Annabeth.

* * *

><p>Truly, he <em>was<em> expecting a miniature Drew Tanaka.

She was in fact a girl, average height and lean, but her brown hair was choppily cut and messy. Her clothes were anything but designer. Skinny jeans that, from the look of them, were accidentally ripped, and a baggy blue t-shirt with an abstract design. She had beat up black Converse.

And yet, she was so _pretty_. Her tan face was clean, fresh, free of makeup or any imperfections, and her eyes were absolutely beautiful, changing color like a kaleidoscope, from brown to blue to green. Her nose was small and narrow, her eyelashes long and natural, her plump pink lips forming a straight line.

"Whoa."

"Whoa what?" The girl's voice was so soothing, so unbelievably nice.

"What?" Jason blinked. This girl ... "Gah, never mind. I'm Jason Grace." He stuck his hand out hesitantly, exhaling when she took it.

"Piper." She spoke her name slowly, eyeing him suspiciously as she shook his hand.

Annabeth crossed her arms over her chest, leaning on one leg. "You have a last name, _Piper_?"

A corner of Piper's mouth turned upward into a small smirk. "I'll tell you when I feel like it. How about you?"

"Annabeth Chase." Annabeth nodded her head slightly, sizing up Piper.

"All right." Piper clapped. "So, you two are supposed to be my tour guides. Shall we start the tour?"

Jason glanced at Annabeth, who smiled. "We shall." Annabeth turned to Jason, motioning for him to start, and he did so awkwardly. Opening the door, he let Piper go first - _"What a gentleman"_ - and then Annabeth, before going out himself.

"Whelp. What can I say about Goode High? It's a nice place. Good academic program, pretty cool electives, kind teachers, so on and so forth. The students, however ... well, they're-"

"Dicks," Annabeth supplied.

Jason smiled, and Piper laughed. (Jason couldn't help but admire her laugh - he thought it was beautiful.) "Yeah, let's go with that. This here, you're walking down the F-Wing. Completely average classes. Not ... you know, above average, or ... below average ..."

Piper giggled. "Okay."

They continued down the hall, with Jason pointing out each and every classroom, every teacher, every con and every pro. Unlike most students, Piper seemed to actually be paying attention - or trying to pay attention, at least, it seemed like she was having some trouble with it.

They made their way to the end of the F-Wing, to the glass door that'd lead them to Jason's favorite part of the whole school. He pushed open the door, walking out first and not caring about manners.

"Welcome to the Plaza."

Piper's eyes widened, and she spun around slowly, looking for a better view. Thin, perfectly mowed grass and cement walkways. Christmas-style lights adorned the tall trees, and there were small fountains here and there. In the middle of it all was a huge, modernized building with several stories, surrounded by many little tables and benches.

Jason pointed toward the building. "That over there? There's a bunch of stuff in there. There's the main cafeteria, and the office. A Starbucks, too, and a snack bar. Heck, there's a freaking gift shop."

Piper turned toward Jason, her green eyes pleading. (Jason could have sworn they were blue a moment ago.) "Can we go inside? _Please_?"_  
><em>

Jason looked at Annabeth, who was marveling at the architecture of the building. It got her every time. Jason turned back to Piper, smiling at her. "I was waiting for this part of the tour. Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, guys! What's up?**

**Sorry I haven't been writing lately, I got back from my vacation around January and then, of course, school started. I've been a little busy. I'll see if I can get up an updating schedule, maybe every Wednesday until further notice, since Wednesday is early release for me and I have more time to write. That schedule goes for all of my chapter stories: this one, ****_Taught to Never Give_****_ Up_, ****and ****_Those Kaleidoscope Eyes. _****To those of you who know ****_Skyscraper_****, that could be a while until it's updated. Possibly forever. :D**

**I'm a little out of it, since I haven't really written anything lately aside from _Ten Things_, so I apologize if this chapter is sucky.**

* * *

><p><em>Now go stand in the corner and think about what you did. Ha! Time for a little revenge. The story starts when it was hot and it was summer—<em>

Piper let out a loud groan as she reached over to grab her phone. 6:00.

She lay in her bed for a while, staring at the blank white ceiling of the condo her father had rented for her and his assistant, Jane.

_Her father_.

Tristan McLean, the oh-so-famous movie star, had left Piper with Jane in New York, so she could attend Goode High School.

Apparently, the place was pretty legit. Tristan said it was good for her, claimed that it would help her with her little thievery problems. Piper wasn't so excited about it—then again, she wasn't really excited about any schools—but he'd insisted.

"Come on, Pipes!" She frowned at the nickname. "Listen, I've got great reviews about this school. The teachers are great, the academics, I'm sure you'll do better here. You've already been enrolled—"

Piper frowned even further. "_Really_? You could have at least asked me first."

He held up his hands in defense. "I'm sorry, but it's the best thing to do. Hey, I've even talked to one of the teachers, he set up a tour for you. I promise you'll fit in this time."

"I don't want to."

"_Piper_. You have to go to school."

Piper opened her mouth, about to reply. She could have been homeschooled, but then she remembered that it was only her father and Jane. Mr. McLean was always out, shooting some overly dramatic movie, and Jane was ... safe to say, Piper hated Jane.

She only agreed because her father made a deal with her—she attended Goode, and he would take off an entire year of any filming, interviews, anything, so that he could spend more time with her. Piper made him do everything—pinky promise, Spock swear, "cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die," even one of the handshakes Piper had made when she was younger—before she finally said yes. She made sure that he knew that if he didn't keep his promise, she was completely and utterly _done_.

Admittedly, she did kind of enjoy stealing things. After the BMW incident, it came naturally. Not just because she wanted to attract her father's attention, but because she found it entertaining. Over the summer, Jane literally stalked Piper, watching her every move. But every now and then, when Jane started rapid-fire talking into her gigantic phone, Piper managed to sneak a candy bar or two into her pocket. (One time, she'd temporarily gotten away with an iPod. Nothing happened until Best Buy called her father and she was grounded for six weeks.)

But while it was fun, it wasn't exactly a good thing. She wanted to be an obedient child, really, and she wanted to stop stealing. For her, and for her dad. (And all the people that she'd probably steal from in the future.)

So there she was, in her unnaturally large room, on her first day at Goode. There was one part of her mind, telling her to just fall asleep and skip school for the day. (Or maybe, the rest of the year.) But she couldn't, because she wanted that year with her dad more than anything.

"Piper!" Jane yelled. "Get up!"

"Working on it," Piper grumbled, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She stretched leisurely, yawning as she checked herself out in the mirror. Her brown hair stuck up in different directions, and she had dark circles under her color-changing eyes, which were set in a dull blue color. She grinned crookedly, giving herself a thumbs-up. _Perfect_.

"_Piper_—"

"I heard you!" Piper screamed, opening the door. Jane stood there in her usual business suit, an iPad tucked under her arm, her dirty blonde hair swirled into a tight bun. She narrowed her dark eyes, taking in Piper.

"You look hideous," she said simply.

Piper snorted, but she didn't take offense to it. "Gee, thanks."

"Don't you sass me—"

"Yeah, yeah." Piper pushed her way past Jane.

"I will not—"

"_Don't you sass me, young lady. I will not hesitate to call your father_," Piper said in a scarily good impression of her father's assistant. "I've heard that a million too many times. Saying it over and over again isn't going to help."

Jane didn't say anything.

"I just woke up. Of course I look like I just got mauled by a bear." Piper sighed. "Give me a few minutes, I'll try to look ... somewhat presentable." She turned just before stepping into the bathroom, looking at Jane. Her expression was unreadable, but she just nodded curtly and briskly walked back down the hall.

Piper closed the door and looked in the mirror, examining the bird's nest on top of her head. She exhaled. "This will take a while."

* * *

><p>Piper ended up putting little-to-no effort into fixing her hair. Because she was too lazy or it was too messy, she could never be sure. But she severely regretted not putting more time into her appearance when she met her tour guides.<p>

She didn't care so much about the girl. (_Annabeth_, she said her name was.) She might have, if she was one of those popular girls who ruled the school. She was tall and athletic and rather pretty, with golden curls that tumbled down her shoulders, but her eyes were dark gray—cold, hard, and calculating, as if she were planning how to kill Piper, but also faraway, as if she had thought of several ways to murder her and didn't know which one was the best. She was pretty nice, though, and Piper figured that she'd only end up in a coffin if she seriously pissed her off.

But the boy ...

Piper had to admit it. He was _hot_.

Jason Grace could have passed off as Annabeth's younger brother, with the deep tan and the blonde hair. He was most certainly taller than Annabeth, with the same athletic and muscular build. But his eyes were different. They weren't _distracted_, like Annabeth's, but _distracting. _They were bright blue, like the sky, with a childish kind of light to them. Piper didn't have a crush on him (he was bound to have a girlfriend, anyway), but maybe she had a crush on his eyes. She found herself staring at them during majority of her tour, though she tried hard to pay attention when she could.

The tour ended around lunch, so they all walked back to the Plaza together.

"We'll introduce you to our friends," Annabeth said, opening the door to the main building. (They said there wasn't a name for it yet, but Jason, being co-student body president, was working on it.) "They're really cool, all of them."

"I think they'll like you." Jason grinned at Piper, and she felt the heat rise up to her cheeks. She decided not to say anything.

As it turned out, their group of friends was actually pretty cool. Piper remembered a few names, like Annabeth's boyfriend Percy Jackson, a witty black-haired, green-eyed beauty, and Hazel Levesque, the adorable African American freshman with these gorgeous golden eyes.

Leo Valdez, however, stood out in particular. He was short and scrawny, with messy dark curls and ridiculously excited brown eyes. He vaguely reminded Piper of a Latino Santa's elf. He was playing with something—a helicopter—when Piper walked over. With a start, she realized that _he'd _made the helicopter himself, out of pipe cleaners and spare cardboard. She was even more surprised when he let go of it and it actually flew across the cafeteria, landing in some poor girl's spaghetti.

He clicked his tongue when he first saw Piper, giving her a lopsided grin. "_Hola, _Beauty Queen. How about I take you out to dinner this Friday?"

Piper blushed. "Um—"

"Leo, lay off," Jason said, but his alluring eyes had an amused glint. "She's new. I'm _pretty _sure going on a date is the last thing on her mind right now."

"Whatever." Leo brushed it off with a wave of his skinny hand. "Speaking of which, you owe me ten dollars. I _told _you she would be hot."

She had to look like a tomato at that point.

"Okay, maybe you're right. She's pretty. _Really _pretty."

"Hot," Leo supplied with a smirk, tapping his foot.

Jason shrugged. "Sure, yeah, that works. She's hot."

Piper wanted to hide under a table.

"Jason, you have a girlfriend," Hazel interrupted, but she was smiling. _Called it_.

Jason ignored her.

"But that _doesn't _mean you can just ask her out."

Leo glared at Jason for a bit. "I won't ask her out if you give me those ten dollars."

Jason's expression was priceless, but being the freakishly generous guy he was, he dug into his pocket and pulled out a ten dollar bill, handing it over to Leo. "Fine. Take your money."

Leo grinned, and he held out his hand to Piper. "Let's try this again. Leo Valdez, pleased to meet you."

Piper smiled, taking his hand and shaking it firmly. "Piper."

He raised an eyebrow. "Last name?"

"She'll tell you when she feels like it," Annabeth said, recalling when they first met. Piper looked at her, and they started to laugh. And even if the rest of the group didn't know what they were talking about, they all started laughing.

Maybe her father was right. Maybe this school was better for her.


	4. Chapter 4

"What's up?"

"Nothing is _up_. Except for the ceiling, I suppose. And that terribly messed up light bulb."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, sitting down on the table that Reyna was working on. "Come on, Rey-Rey."

"Don't call me that." Reyna knit her eyebrows, setting aside the large stack of papers. She gently set her pencil down on the hardwood tabletop, clasping her hands together neatly. She turned to Annabeth, silently interrogating her a highly arched eyebrow. "What do you want, Annabeth?"

"I want you to stop working."

Reyna stared at her for a while, her dark obsidian eyes staring into her soul. Well, not literally, but that's certainly what it felt like. The younger girl shook her head. "No. There is too much to do." She reached for the papers again, but Annabeth grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"Honestly, Reyna." Annabeth let go of her wrist and got off the table, walking around and crouching down next to Reyna, leaning on her chair. "You're making me feel like you're ten years older than me." The blonde chuckled softly, reaching for Reyna's hand.

"I do not—"

"Rey, I'm worried about you. You weren't this uptight when we first met. Ever since school swung around again, you've been overworking yourself. You have to take a break for a while, take a breather, just relax."

Reyna frowned. "But, the party."

Annabeth waved her hand. "We'll take care of it. Almost done with the planning, anyway, I'll speak to Principal Sylvester and Mr. Blofis. Jason had some pretty good ideas, you know, maybe you should have ... well, gone a little easy on him. He's really worried about you, Reyna."

Reyna closed her eyes. "I know. Perhaps ... I should take a break."

Annabeth brightened. "Yes, yes, you really should!" She exclaimed, straightening.

"What y'all up to?"

Both girls turned around. Jason strolled into the room, a knowing grin on his face. "Rey-Rey. Annie."

Reyna rolled her eyes and smiled, standing up. She scooped up the stack of papers in one hand, promptly placing her pencil on top. "Jason. Next time, honey, try not to eavesdrop."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

She snorted. "Do you _see _your face?"

Annabeth clapped her hands together. "And _that's _the Reyna I know! How about ..." A smile slowly spread across her face. "A double date? You, me, Jase, Percy, Friday night at the Cheesecake Factory?" She was confused when Reyna started laughing.

Jason frowned. "What are you laughing at? You don't want to go?"

"No, no, I'd love to go!" Reyna stopped to catch her breath, and she grinned at the two blondes. "It's just ... _Jase_. I've never called him Jase before. Just think about it. _Jase Grace_. It rhymes."

A knowing smile spread across Annabeth's face, and she started to laugh while Jason complained in protest, claiming that nickname wasn't his idea. (Because it wasn't, it was one of the many nicknames Thalia gave him, along with "Asshole" and "Mr. Perfect," neither of which he approved of.)

"Why do we use it, then?"

Jason looked pointedly at Annabeth, jabbing a finger in her direction. "I don't know about you guys, but I like it better than _Perky McIdiot_." He shook his head. "I really hate Thalia sometimes."

Reyna laughed again, pulling Annabeth in for a one-armed hug. "Thank you, Annabeth, for helping me. I can't wait." She gave her one last smile before walking off with Jason's arm around her waist.

* * *

><p>"Hi, Annabeth!"<p>

Annabeth turned her head. Piper was beside her, walking briskly to keep up. It was only her third day of school, but she already looked exhausted. A orange feather was messily braided into her hair, matching her shirt, and her eyes were rapidly changing color. She inhaled sharply, shaking her head and laughing.

"Why do you walk so fast?"

Annabeth shrugged, smiling. "I have my priorities straight, and right now, I need to get to class. Speaking of which, what's your next class?"

"Uh." Piper blanched, and she hastily opened up her binder, flipping through it with one hand. She pulled out a small slip of paper—her schedule.

"Don't have it memorized?" Annabeth inquired, turning a corner and curling a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She subconsciously reached up and tightened her ponytail, keeping one hand secure on her supplies.

Piper shook her head. "Not even close. I've got ... Drama." She sighed, slowly slipping her schedule back into her binder. "My dad forced me to take it."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Who's your dad?"

Piper shrugged off the question. "He's just a guy who's always wanted to act, but he never got to achieve his dream. So, he wants me to give acting a try, see if I can play some kind of queen of Sparta or something."

Annabeth sighed. "Ah. Well, I have Architectural Design, both of which are in that huge building in the middle of the Plaza that Jason should have named already but hasn't because, unlike me, he _doesn't _have his priorities straight and is usually playing pointless video games and losing to Percy, despite the fact that Reyna would probably kill him, and I'm genuinely not entirely sure why he's not dead yet—"

"Hold it right there." Piper held up a hand, giggling. "I think I get the idea. You guys—you and Jason—you sound like pretty good friends. How long have you guys known each other?"

"His sister, Thalia, has been my best friend since I was seven. I didn't really talk to Jason until high school, though. He's like my little brother."

"Who's a lot taller than you."

Annabeth nodded, a grin tugging at her lips. "Who's a lot taller than me." She opened the door to the building, letting Piper go in first. She watched as Piper marveled at the interior once again. Annabeth couldn't blame her, though. At some point, she wanted to create a building just as amazing, or better even, if she could manage it. It'd be a lot of work, but she was in Architectural Design for a reason.

"I'll drop you off at the theater first. My class is right next door, anyway." Annabeth led Piper through a series of hallways, biting her lip. "So ... have you met anyone?"

Piper shook her head. "No one, but I like your group of friends. They greet me like I've known them forever.

Annabeth cleared her throat. "Sorry, I wasn't clear. Have you met any _boys_?"

Piper's entire face paled—aside from her cheeks, which considerably reddened. She gagged, her eyes widening. "Um ... I haven't ... I don't—"

"You're lying."

Piper turned to her, and Annabeth almost laughed. The poor girl looked scandalized, even breathless. "What?"

"I can tell. It's a freakish talent that I probably _shouldn't _have, but I do anyway." Annabeth shrugged, wiggling her eyebrows. "So ... who's the guy?"

Piper looked down at her shoes, coughing and twiddling her fingers. "Well ... I kind of ..."

"Come on, Piper. I won't tell anyone."

"I, uh, I kind of like ..."

Annabeth bit her lip, leaning closer in anticipation. She was excited for whatever reason—Piper was amazing, and incredibly pretty, and any boy would be lucky if she had a crush on them. They came to a stop in front of the theater door, but Annabeth refused to let her through the door until she told her who. This was unusual for Annabeth. This side of her only came out every once in a while.

"Leo. I have a crush on Leo." Piper was staring at her now, her brown eyes soft, her cheeks redder than Percy's when Annabeth walked in on him playing hide-and-seek with a fish. "We talk a lot, and he's annoying, yeah, but in a cute way, and he's actually pretty nice."

Annabeth's eyes widened. She didn't even say anything, just pushed Piper into the theater and didn't give her any time to respond. She stood there for a while, thinking. (Her priorities certainly weren't straight at that point.)

_Piper._

_Leo._

_Piper and Leo_.

A smile slowly spread across her face, and she held her chin up as she marched to her classroom. She hadn't done this since Jason and Reyna, but it was definitely worth a try.

Matchmaker Annabeth was now in action.

* * *

><p><strong>just thought i'd add a little twist. ;) i'm going to try my hardest not to make this story too cliche. see y'all next wednesday! :)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

Jason didn't know whether to dress up or not.

He hadn't actually been to the Cheesecake Factory before, and he was afraid that if he showed up in a t-shirt and jeans, he would get kicked out.

So he looked it up.

The interior seemed pretty fancy. He'd also looked up the dress code, just because, and most people claimed that it didn't really matter. Some people decked out in pearls and diamonds, and others looked like they'd just woken up.

But he called Annabeth anyway.

The first thing she did was laugh for a minute straight, which kind of offended Jason. She even had to hang up and call him back a few minutes later, out of breath and still giggling a bit.

"What's so funny?" Jason asked.

"Nothing."

Jason knit his eyebrows. "Well, there's obviously something."

She laughed again. "It's just that you're so worked up about this. It's just one _date, _Jason, and you've known Reyna for ... forever!"

"Ahem, I met her in sixth grade. That is _nowhere _near forever." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, she's Reyna, and I'm afraid that if I dress casually then she's going to kill me or something."

Jason could almost imagine Annabeth rolling her eyes. "Oh, come on."

"... do I get, like, an answer?"

Annabeth sighed. "Fine. I talked to Reyna earlier. We both think it would be a bit nicer if we dressed up a bit. Don't come in a tux and a bow tie. Just ... I don't know. Do something."

"That doesn't—"

She hung up.

* * *

><p>Jason just decided to wear black pants and a black shirt and a purple tie. Purple was Reyna's favorite color. He'd nervously messed around with his hair, and Thalia sat back, laughing at him.<p>

"Relax, little bro." She came up behind him. (Jason almost laughed, considering that she was up to his shoulder.) She ruffled his hair, grinning at him through the mirror. "You look fine. This isn't prom."

He exhaled, straightening his tie one last time.

When he arrived at Reyna's house, he almost stopped breathing. (Or maybe he did. He wasn't really sure.)

Reyna wore a simple purple dress, and for the first time in a few years, her black hair tumbled down over her shoulders. She was effortlessly beautiful, with little to no visible makeup, and Jason was blushing like a strawberry.

Reyna grinned at him, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Speechless?"

He frowned at first, but he couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. You look amazing, Reyna."

"Not so bad yourself, Grace."

"I'm surprised you didn't call me Jase Grace."

"Thanks for reminding me, Jase Grace."

They said goodbye to Hylla, Reyna's older sister, who glared at Jason but didn't say anything. He was used to it, though. She'd glared at him millions of times, and it wasn't any scarier than Reyna.

Jason drove them to the address Annabeth had given him. They didn't play any music, since Reyna didn't really like listening to music, but Jason kind of liked it. When he wasn't focused on keeping them alive, he was admiring the Manhattan lights.

They arrived at the Cheesecake Factory in no time. Percy was standing outside, and Annabeth was next to him, scolding him on his outfit. At first glance, in the darkness, Jason couldn't see anything wrong with it. He was actually relieved that he was dressed in the same thing as him.

But then he realized that Percy's tie was blue. Decorated with bubbles. And _Nemo_.

Annabeth seemed almost embarrassed.

"_Honestly_, Percy!" Jason would have complimented her on how pretty she looked, with her short gray dress and elaborate bun, but she seemed so frustrated that he decided not to say anything. "I mean, I guess I would have been fine with just the bubbles, but Nemo? _Nemo_?"

Percy frowned. "I don't see anything wrong with Nemo."

"Everything is wrong with Nemo! You're seventeen, Percy! You know, you're lucky you're hot, because if you weren't, then I swear—"

Reyna cleared her throat loudly, but a smile tugged at her lips. "Hey, hate to break up your _super _important argument about whether or not Percy's tie is appropriate for his age, but, uh, it'd be really nice if you acknowledged that we existed."

The couple stopped arguing and turned to them. Percy greeted them with a small hug, a clap on the back, and a grin. But Annabeth? A wave of relief passed over her pretty features, and she ran to Reyna, clinging onto her like she was her lifeline.

"Finally!" Annabeth shrieked breathlessly, and Reyna looked at Jason.

_Help. __Me_.

Annabeth didn't notice. "_Finally_, another sane person."

"Wait." Jason pried Annabeth off of Reyna, frowning at the blonde. "Am _I _not sane?"

Annabeth shrugged simply, as if she hadn't just been squeezing Reyna to death. "You have your moments. You're kind of sane. But there are also times when I want to hurl both you and Percy off a cliff. You guys are like twins in idiocy."

"Hell yeah!" Percy raised his hand for a high five, and Jason obliged.

"Now now, boys," Reyna began in her best motherly voice. "You mustn't act so _stupid_, especially when we get inside. We don't want people to think you're our children, okay?"

Annabeth laughed, looping her arm into Reyna's. They marched into the Cheesecake Factory together, two beautifully scary teenage girls flanked by their tall and awkward boyfriends.

Percy pushed through the crowd of people, up to the front desk. He sent the young woman behind it—a redheaded girl with a name tag that read "Taylor"—a flirtatious grin, and her freckled cheeks flushed.

"Party of four," he said huskily, and Jason snorted. Reyna sent him a look, but even she was biting her lip to keep from laughing. Annabeth seemed about ready to murder poor Taylor.

Taylor hastily checked for any open table, and her face fell when she couldn't. "Aw, no! We don't have anything at the moment, and the wait will be about thirty minutes? Is that okay?"

Percy shrugged, waved it off with his hand. "Yeah, that will be fine."

"I could keep you company if you like ..." She winked at Percy, who blinked. Jason couldn't help it—he burst into laughter, and Reyna followed suit. Annabeth, however, looked positively murderous.

"Listen here, Lindsay Lohan, you lay a hand on my boyfriend, and you won't live to see tomorrow—"

"Whoa there, Wise Girl." Percy grabbed Annabeth by the waist in an attempt to pull her away, but she stood her ground. Percy eventually picked her up and walked away. It was quite a scene, a boy with a girl yelling death threats slung over his shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes. It was Reyna's turn to be embarrassed, and she laughed into Jason's chest as they followed them.

"What the hell was _that_?" Annabeth demanded, after Percy had put her down and she'd sunk into a chair, her arms crossed.

Percy looked genuinely sorry. "I was just trying to get us seats sooner."

Annabeth blew a stray curl out of her face, her eyebrows scrunched together. "Well, it didn't work."

"Aw, come on, Annabeth." Percy crouched in front of her and placed a hand on her cheek, pressing his lips to hers tenderly. She resisted at first, but eventually she gave in, leaning into the kiss.

Reyna cleared her throat.

Annabeth pulled back, staring at her. "What? We didn't say you guys couldn't make out." And she promptly went back to exchanging spit with Percy.

Jason looked at Reyna, who was shaking her head and smiling. He grinned at her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer and locking lips with her.

* * *

><p>"Has it been thirty minutes yet?"<p>

Annabeth looked down at Percy, who was lying on her lap. "More than. I guess your flirting didn't help after all."

"Hey, I said I was sorry."

Annabeth leaned down and pecked him on the lips. "Keep talking, Seaweed Brain."

"Wrong way."

Reyna rolled her eyes and gently slapped Jason before returning her attention to her phone, where she was playing Flow Free. "Maybe I meant to go that way."

"Why would you want to go that way?"

"Maybe I wanted to try being dumb for a change. You know, like Percy."

"Hey!"

Jason laughed, squeezing Reyna's shoulder. She snuggled into him, raising her feet onto the bench. Jason mock-gasped. "Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, putting her feet on something other than the ground? How surprising."

Reyna frowned, because of her name or the joke, but her eyes were smiling. "As long as Hylla doesn't come striding through that door demanding strawberry cheesecake, I should be fine."

Annabeth inhaled sharply.

Percy shot up, eyes darting around the room. Jason actually thought it was kind of cute, how protective he was of her. "What's wrong?"

Annabeth blinked, shaking her head. "No, it's nothing."

Jason followed her line of sight, trying to find what she had been staring at. And, admittedly, he was really surprised when he found out.

He looked the same, with his cargo pants and suspenders and messy dark curls, but she'd dressed up in something he'd never even attempted to imagine her in, a turquoise dress and black leggings and boots. She seemed as if she'd actually attempted with her hair, and it worked. It tumbled down her tan shoulders in brown waves, and she looked even more mesmerizing than usual.

_Shut up, Jason. You have a girlfriend._

He caught Jason's eye and waved at him, a smile splitting his face. He pointed to her, as if to say, _ha, I asked her out and she said yes! Gonna kill me? _He tapped her shoulder, and she turned toward him, her eyes a piercing gray. She beamed at him.

_Hi_, she mouthed.

Jason raised a hand, smiling back weakly. "Hi, Leo. Hi, Piper."


	6. Chapter 6

"What do you think you're doing?"

Piper jumped, dropping the gorgeous turquoise dress in her hands. _Gorgeous _wasn't usually something she'd use to describe a dress, but she'd actually found it pretty nice. She had stolen it, obviously, from her father's closet back in Oklahoma. It had been her mother's dress.

"Um, nothing," Piper stuttered.

Jane narrowed her eyes, staring pointedly at the dress. "You either miss your mother or you're going out somewhere. Which one is it?"

"Okay, first off, I _never _miss my mother," Piper snapped. "Aphrodite abandoned me and my father. Now she's probably taking another photo shoot for another magazine, being interviewed and not even mentioning me because after she _left _me, she probably forgot I existed."

"Piper—" Jane began in a scolding tone, but Piper interrupted her.

"Second, I'm not going out." She hesitated. "What time are you going to bed?"

Jane sighed exasperatedly, walking over and picking up the dress, smoothing out the wrinkles. "Piper, I know when you're lying. Tristan hired me for a reason."

Piper snorted, flopping onto her bed. "Since when does Mr. Movie Star make any good decisions?"

"Young lady, I will not have you talking about your mother nor your father like that." Jane sat down next to her. "Where are you going?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"_Piper_."

"Fine, fine." Piper sat up, slumping her shoulders and blowing a strand of brown hair out of her face. "I got asked out. By a boy. And I _really _like him. I guess I didn't want to tell you because, well, I was afraid you wouldn't let me go."

Jane stayed silent for a while. She held up the dress, tilting her head and admiring it. "This really is a beautiful dress."

"What the _hell _does that have to do with—"

"I'd love to see you in it. It's too casual for prom, so what better use than for a first date?"

Piper stared at her, blinking. "Wait. You'd really ... you're really going to let me go?"

"I'm too uptight sometimes, aren't I?" Jane smiled. "Of course. Come on, let's get you ready for that date."

* * *

><p>Piper was more than surprised at how much Jane knew about this kind of stuff. Her father's assistant had matched her turquoise dress with black leggings and boots, applied makeup to her face with such skill that it was visible, yet not visible. (If that made any sense.)<p>

Jane was curling the last strand of Piper's hair. "Now, listen. For your sake, and my sake, _don't _mention this to your father."

"He doesn't talk to me anyway."

Jane was quiet again.

Leo had texted Piper, saying he was waiting outside her door. Piper checked herself in the mirror again, suddenly more self-conscious then she'd ever been, and rushed out of the bathroom, Jane following her.

Piper grabbed the black purse Jane had set out for her and opened up the door. Leo stood there, wearing the same thing he always did. He saw her and blinked, his cheeks reddening.

"Um," he began, and Piper was worried. "I don't think I dressed correctly."

Piper laughed in relief, and she tackled him in a hug, which seemed to surprise him. He didn't object, though. Not at all. "Relax. You look fine."

"Thank you, _chica_." Leo held out his hand, and she took it. He began to lead her into the hallway, but Piper stopped mid step. She turned and looked at Jane, who was standing in the doorway, a sparkle of pride in her dark eyes.

"Thank you," Piper said, smiling. Jane nodded with her own grin and shooed her away, closing the door gently.

"Is she your mother?" Leo asked as they got into the elevator.

Piper shook her head. _Not now. Please_. "No, she isn't."

"Okay."

Piper exhaled in relief, tapping her hand against the wall.

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the Cheesecake Factory."<p>

"Wow. I've never been here before." _Because my father has an immensely large amount of money that he spends on practically everything but me_.

"You're missing out."

"I can tell." Piper smiled at Leo, and he took her hand, leading her to the front desk.

"What's up, Taylor?" Leo grinned at the girl with the red hair and the freckly face, who smiled back. He leaned in to whisper in Piper's ear. "I worked here for a bit. They didn't pay me. Instead, I could come here for free whenever I liked, with someone or without."

Piper was confused, but didn't say anything. Why couldn't he pay for the restaurant?

"Hey, Leo!" Taylor sized up Piper, grinning. "Party of two, I see?"

Leo nodded, squeezing Piper's hand. "Yeah. This is Piper, by the way. Piper, Taylor. Taylor, Piper."

Piper waved her free hand. "Hi."

"She's pretty," Taylor whispered to Leo, even though Piper could hear. She flushed, and Leo laughed. "Well, we're kind of full today. I've got nothing, so the wait could be a while. Is that fine?"

"Yeah, that's fine. For me, at least. Piper?"

"I'm okay with that." Piper nodded, and Leo finalized with Taylor.

"So, what do you want to do in the meantime?" Leo asked. He patted his pocket. "Taylor has my number. We can go out somewhere and Taylor can call us when our table's ready?"

"Hmm. Let me think on that for a bit."

"Sure thing, Beauty Queen."

She didn't think about it, just admired the iPhone sitting in the pocket of a tall woman and tried not to reach for it.

* * *

><p>Her concentrated "thinking" was interrupted when he tapped her shoulder.<p>

"What?" She said. Leo pointed in front of him, and Piper whipped around.

Her jaw almost dropped, and in the small amount of time she had, she almost considered bringing up her hand to support her mouth, but decided against it at the last millisecond. She smiled, mouthing the word _hi_.

"Hi, Leo. Hi, Piper," Jason called back. Percy's face lit up, and he beckoned for them to come over. They obliged.

"So, what are you two doing here?" Percy asked suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows. Both Leo and Piper blushed, but Leo spoke first.

"I just finally got around to asking Beauty Queen on a date." Leo smiled at Piper and gave her shoulders a squeeze.

Piper rolled her eyes. "When will you stop calling me that?"

"When you stop being beautiful. So never."

Piper blushed, and Annabeth cooed. "That's _adorable_. See how good I am at matchmaking?"

Jason choked. "Wait, you set them up?"

"Obviously," Annabeth responded in a _duh _tone. "They're perfect. Right?"

"... sure."

"How about a triple date?" Percy asked suddenly. "I'm pretty sure I can talk with Taylor. Table for six, you know."

Annabeth shook her head. "There is absolutely _no _way I'm letting you talk to Freckles again."

Percy rolled his eyes. "It's like you have a thing against people with freckles. First there was Rachel, and now there's Taylor."

"I have a reason to hate both of them. Besides, I'm on good terms with Rachel. She's a good person."

Leo cleared his throat. "How about _I _talk to Taylor?"

"That would be very much appreciated, Mr. Valdez."

* * *

><p>"So where are you from?"<p>

Piper almost choked on her food. Reyna had asked the question so suddenly, staring at her with those freakishly dark eyes. (And Piper had thought that Jane was scary.)

"Um, I was actually born here, in New York. But, uh, I was raised in Oklahoma. I moved around a lot, though."

Reyna nodded. "Your parents?"

"Okay, if she won't tell me—"

"Or _me_," Annabeth added.

"—then I genuinely doubt she'll tell you. Just saying," Leo finished.

Reyna stared at Piper.

She coughed awkwardly. "I don't really like to talk about them much. They're just ... not a big part of my life."

"Don't think we're going to give you pity. The same thing happens with us. Our parents suck."

"Except for mine!" Percy exclaimed loudly.

"And mine, I guess," Annabeth admitted, staring down at her steak.

Leo said nothing.

Reyna changed the subject. "Why did you come to Goode so suddenly?"

"My dad wanted me to. I've had kind of a, er, bad history in terms of schools, and everything else, so ... yeah."

"There wasn't any other school you could have gone to?"

"Reyna!" Jason scolded, scandalized at her rudeness.

Piper blinked. "Um, no. Not that I know of, at least."

"Okay."

Reyna went back to eating her steak as if nothing had happened.


	7. Chapter 7

"I really hate Mondays."

"Mmhmm."

"Especially Monday mornings."

"Don't we all, Wise Girl?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, bringing her arm back from around Percy's waist to slap him. He muttered in protest, rubbing his arm, but didn't say anything else.

"What do you think happened to Reyna?" Annabeth asked, changing the subject. "Friday night, I mean. The date. When she interrogated Piper. She was so . . ."

Percy grabbed Annabeth's mocha and took a sip. She didn't protest. "I think she's just a little jealous."

"_Jealous_?"

"I mean, honestly. Piper is really pretty—not that I like her, I barely know her—and she's kind of cool. Jason looks like he might have a tiny crush on her." Percy went in for another drink, but Annabeth took the cup back.

"Oh, please. I highly doubt Jason likes Piper. Not that I have anything against Piper. But he loves Reyna."

Percy just shrugged. "I don't know, Annie. If I didn't know you, and I'm really lucky that I do, I'd probably have a crush on Piper, too."

Annabeth didn't know if that was insulting or flattering.

* * *

><p>"Why the hell are you in a <em>bush<em>?"

Reyna jumped, yelping as she struggled to regain her balance. She ran a hand over her tight braid, flattening her purple shirt. "I'm not in a bush. I am ... behind a bush."

"There's no difference," Annabeth replied.

"Yes, there is. If I were _in _the bush, that'd be stupid, but I don't see anything wrong with being behind a bush, because I am positive that hundreds of people sit behind bushes everyday—"

"Answer the question, Ramirez."

Reyna glared at Annabeth, standing up. She brushed the nonexistent dirt off her clothes. "It's relaxing."

"A lot of places are relaxing. Yet, out of _all _the possible calming locations, you chose a _bush_."

"I like plants."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Come on, Reyna. What were you doing?"

Reyna glared at her for a while, and Annabeth was afraid that she wouldn't be able to keep up. But she narrowed her gray eyes, and eventually, Reyna's defenses broke. She jerked her head to the left, toward the Plaza.

"You were admiring the building? I do that all the time. Nothing to be ashamed of, Rey."

Reyna looked just about ready to facepalm. "No," she said sharply, her cheeks reddening. "_Piper_."

"What about Piper?" Annabeth raised a suspicious eyebrow. She stretched her neck to see behind Reyna—Piper was sitting at a table with Leo, and the two were laughing about something. (Probably one of Leo's terribly messed up jokes.)

Reyna played with her thumbs. "I think Jason likes her."

Annabeth took that time to facepalm.

_Everybody _thought that _Jason _liked _Piper_, even if _Jason _clearly liked _Reyna _and _Piper _had a gigantic crush on _Leo_. It was like some awkward love triangle. Or love square. Jason didn't like Piper, and Annabeth was sure of it.

Or maybe she was just in denial. Maybe Annabeth wanted "Jeyna" to last until Jason had been a general of the army and Reyna had been president. She wanted to see them last until Jason's blonde hair turned gray and Reyna didn't have the strength to beat Annabeth's ass in a sword fight.

"Jason does _not _like Piper," Annabeth said sternly, keeping her eyes on Leo and Piper. "Trust me. Jason loves you, and Piper's got her eyes on Leo. I mean, just look at them."

She gestured to the couple, still laughing, and Reyna turned. She stared at them for a bit. "I don't know."

"_Reyna—_"

"I'm just a little worried." Reyna turned back to Annabeth, her dark eyes soft. "I like Jason. A lot. And I've liked him for a long time. And for him to like Piper . . ."

"He doesn't like Piper, Reyna. I know he doesn't."

Reyna uncomfortably fiddled with the hem of her violet shirt. "I don't want him to think I've changed. Because I haven't. I'm just a little . . . tense. Stressed."

"Which is why we took you on that date," Annabeth said, and Reyna nodded, swallowing.

"Yes. That was nice, admittedly. But with both Jason and Piper there . . ."

Annabeth stayed quiet for a bit, contemplating on her options. She could send Jason and Reyna on another date, just the two of them, so that she'd know that Jason only liked her. _Or_, they could have some girl time, so that the junior could loosen up a bit.

Annabeth settled for girl time.

"Tell you what," Annabeth began. "We're going to go to the mall and watch a freakishly depressing movie and go to a salon and whatever, and you're not going to worry about anything."

Reyna frowned. "But we've already put off a day, the dance—"

Annabeth waved it off. "Jason will get everyone to work a little harder."

"I don't want them to do that for me."

"They care about you, Reyna. They're worried. I'm sure they'd be fine."

Reyna stared at her again. But eventually, she shook her head, a small smile on her face.

"I can't believe I'm giving in again. What movie are we watching?"

* * *

><p>Annabeth walked up to Piper.<p>

"Hi."

Piper turned around. She smiled. "Hey, Annabeth."

"How are things with you and Leo?" She blurted out. It was either that, or ask her how she felt about Jason. Leo was probably a better approach.

Piper blushed.

(Definitely a better approach.)

"Well?" Annabeth nudged her with a sly grin.

Piper shrugged, hiding her face behind the open door of her locker. "Nice, I guess."

Annabeth pulled the door back, revealing Piper's red face. "I'm pretty sure things have been more than _nice._"

"Maybe." Piper pulled her black backpack off her shoulder, propping it up on her knee as she switched out her books. "He's a great guy. I really do like him, and I'm lucky that he actually likes me too."

"What did you guys do yesterday?"

"How did you know that I was with him yesterday?"

Annabeth held up her phone, wiggling it. "The perks of a group text. Leo already talks too much, what do you expect when he's dating someone like you?"

"We didn't do much," Piper responded, forcefully shoving her math textbook into her locker. A few papers fell out, and she caught them all, pushing them back into random corners. "Just, you know. We watched a movie."

"What kind of movie?"

"It was a rom-com."

"Anything else?"

Piper closed her locker, swinging her bag back onto her shoulder. "No, Annabeth. It was just a movie. A classic date."

"Did you kiss him?"

"No."

"Did you share popcorn? Oh, did he feed you?"

Piper began to walk away. "_Bye_, Annabeth."

"I demand to know more."

"Add me to that group text. Maybe I'll tell you."


	8. Chapter 8

**No, I'm not dead. Thanks for asking, though.**

**i'm litERALLY SO SORRY FOR NOT BEING ACTIVE OMG**

**so pretty much i had a shit ton of work due which sounds dramatic since i'm only in like middle school but trust me it was a lot and i also got sick which was really annoying and my parents told me to like "minimize my screen time" and i was like girl pls but i did it anyway and then i had even more work because i had to make up a bunch of crap and then i had a violin performance and a piano recital and i got grounded a couple of times and here i am**

**on with the story**

* * *

><p>"<em>Reyna<em>," Jason said as he popped up next to his girlfriend's locker, drawing out the first syllable of her name.

"_Jase Grace_," Reyna said in the same drawn out tone. She moved her locker door to peck Jason on the lips and opened it fully again, continuing to exchange her books.

Jason frowned. "Are you ever going to stop calling me that?"

"Maybe."

Jason stared at her.

"Probably not."

He rolled his eyes, and Reyna laughed, closing her locker. "It'll fade away eventually."

"Right." A smile spread across Jason's face. "Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano—"

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?" Reyna asked.

"Hey! That's, like, the first time I've said it in three months. It'll fade away eventually."

It was Reyna's turn to roll her eyes.

"Look, Reyna, my point is ..." Jason took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, staring into her dark eyes. "Will you—"

"Jason, we've gone over this, I'm not going to marry you because even if we already fight like a married couple and maybe we'd actually work pretty well together, we're only sixteen and I think that's _way _too young to get married, even though in some places—"

Jason chuckled lightly, interrupting her rant. She looked offended. "Reyna, I'm not asking you to marry me. I just want to know if you'd like to go out to dinner on Friday."

"Oh. In that case, I can't. Sorry."

Jason frowned. "Wait, why—"

The bell rang, and Reyna's eyes widened. She gave Jason a kiss on the cheek, turning on her heel and walking down the hall. "See you in English!"

"Are you even going to tell me why you can't come?"

Reyna was lost in the crowd of teenagers.

* * *

><p>"Reyna just rejected me."<p>

"Wait, what? Why?" Annabeth panicked, her gray eyes growing wide. She opened the door to Starbucks, letting Jason enter first.

Jason sat down at the nearest table, blowing his blonde hair out of his face. (He really need to get a haircut.) He dropped his backpack on the floor next to him, leaning in his chair. "I asked her if she wanted to go out for dinner this Friday, and she said no, and walked away. I don't really know why."

"Oh ..." A wave of relief passed over her face, and then guilt, and she laughed nervously. "_Oh_. I know why."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

"Yeah, I do. I'll get our drinks first. Mocha?"

"Yeah."

"Be right back."

Jason impatiently waited for Annabeth book, scrolling through his Instagram and liking every post he came across. His foot impatiently tapped against the floor, his other hand running through his mane of blonde hair.

He almost tackled Annabeth when she came back with her caramel frappuccino and his mocha.

"Why did she blow me off?" He asked.

"Well ..." Annabeth played with the promise ring Percy gave her, twisting it around her finger. "I kind of invited her over for a sleepover. On Friday."

Jason sighed. He wasn't mad. "Sleepovers? Are they really your thing?"

"No, not really. But Reyna still needs to cool off a bit, and the Halloween dance is getting closer, and so if we're going to work at it, I figured that we'd better do it in a fun way."

"... I guess I see your point." Jason shrugged.

A flash went off to their right.

Annabeth yelped, and Jason blinked. "Wha—"

"Aww!" From behind a gigantic camera, a woman squealed. "You too are probably the most adorable couple I've seen in a while. Blonde buddies, yay!"

"Wait, hold on. Annabeth and I aren't—"

The woman put down her camera. She was absolutely gorgeous and didn't look older than thirty, with blonde waves, bright blue eyes, and flawless skin. "Annabeth, huh? Gorgeous name for a gorgeous girl. What's your name, handsome?"

She nudged Jason, and he winced uncomfortably.

"Jason," Annabeth said, "but we're not—"

"Answering questions for each other! That's so sweet!" The woman whipped out a pink notebook and wrote something in ineligible cursive. "You two are _definitely _going on the cover of next month's edition—"

"Miss ... whatever your name is," Annabeth interrupted. She looked disappointed that Annabeth didn't know her name. "We're not a couple."

The woman frowned, the corners of her red lips turning downward. Her eyes were suddenly a sparkly brown, and with another blink of Jason's eyes, they were dark green. "What?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Jason said slowly. "I already have a girlfriend." He looked at Annabeth, motioning for her to continue. She raised her hands, mouthing something, and Jason frantically waved his hands around.

"We're siblings!" Annabeth said loudly. She reached across the table and wrapped an arm around Jason's neck, pinching his cheek. He groaned in protest, but she gave him a look. "Yeah, this is my little bro, he's an idiot."

"_Hey_!"

The woman stared at them skeptically, dragging her pen across her notebook without even looking at it. Jason detached himself from Annabeth, shaking out his hair.

"Yeah, uh, yeah. She's my sister."

"And I'm married!" Annabeth blurted, then clapped a hand over her mouth. Jason's eyes widened.

"Oh, really?" The woman asked.

"Married! Married, see?" Annabeth showed off the ring on her hand.

Miss McMatchmaker knit her eyebrows. "That's a promise ring."

"My boyfriend is cheap."

"Yeah, they're—" Jason chuckled lightly. "They're married. She's married."

"Hmph." The woman scribbled something in her notebook again, straightening. She flufffed out her curls, running a hand over her dress to smooth it out. A young girl popped up behind her, standing on her tiptoes and tapping her on the shoulder.

"Aphrodite, miss?" She asked. She had cotton candy blue braces. "Can we take a selfie?"

"Wait, you're _Aphrodite_?" Annabeth asked, blinking. "As in, model and owner of _Beauty x Beauty _magazine?"

"That's me," she said dryly. Aphrodite turned and patted the girl on the head. "Sorry, sweet cheeks. I have a meeting to be at in ..." She checked her watch. "Two minutes."

"Wait, Aphrodite—" Annabeth said, but Aphrodite stopped her with a flourish of her perfectly manicured hand.

"Gotta go, hon. Bye, _non-couple_." Aphrodite flipped her hair and sashayed out of Starbucks.

"What the hell was that?" Jason asked once Aphrodite had gone, and Annabeth spread her hands.

"I've never had a plan for this kind of situation."

"Did you really need a plan?"

"Yes, Jason. I really did."

Jason shook his head, laughing, as his phone buzzed. He wiggled around in his chair, reaching for his phone.

_**ay, sparky. still up for the project?**_

"Ah, jeez." Jason stood up, finishing off his mocha. "I forgot, I have a history project with Piper."

Annabeth almost choked. "_Piper_?"

"Yeah." Jason kissed Annabeth on the cheek, striding toward the door.

"Jason Grace, don't just leave—"

"I'll see you tomorrow, sis!"

"Rude!" Annabeth called after him. "Bro!" She added, and Jason laughed.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry. I just discovered the beauty of the Jasabeth bromance. XD<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

Piper sat on the ratty old bench on Jason's porch.

He had _completely _forgotten that they were supposed to work on their history skit after school and, from his text messages, felt really bad about it. (Annabeth said he'd gotten mad at Reyna because she blew him off for a perfectly good reason. Then he forgot Piper existed.)

She grinned at Jason when she saw him, acknowledging him with a slight jerk of her head.

"Finally decided to show up, Sparky?" She asked. Jason laughed, shaking his head.

"Sorry. I went to Starbucks and ran into Aphrodite, of all people—"

Piper choked on the gum she was chewing. "Wait, _Aphrodite_? As in, supermodel, creator of _Beauty x Beauty_?"

"Yeah ..." Jason trailed off suspiciously. Piper shook her head.

Aphrodite. They ran into _Aphrodite_.

"It's nothing. Continue."

Jason chuckled. "She thought we—me and Annabeth—were a couple, and from there, I guess you can tell where things went."

Piper laughed, almost choking on her gum again. "What did you guys say?"

"Well," Jason began as he unlocked the door, letting Piper in first. "I just said that I had a girlfriend, but Annabeth went a little nuts. She said we were siblings."

"That's not what I would call nuts," Piper said as Jason shut the door. She studied him, tilting her head. "You two do look alike. I actually thought you guys were brother and sister when I first met you."

"I know. But she also said she was married."

Piper guffawed again. Married? Not even close. Even if Percy and Annabeth were _engaged_, they'd have to wait at least another year until the ceremony—Annabeth liked planning things. "She doesn't have a ring."

"Ever notice the promise ring that's always on the ring finger of her right hand?"

"Did she actually believe that?" Piper asked, her eyes widening. From what her father had told her, Aphrodite wasn't _that _dense.

"'My boyfriend is cheap,'" Jason said in a terrible imitation of Annabeth, and Piper laughed one more time.

She jumped onto the couch, reaching for a colorful pillow and hugging it to her chest. She sat cross-legged, tipping back and forth. "So, the skit."

"I'm not a good actor," was the first thing Jason said, and Piper just shrugged.

"I am. I'll do most of the acting."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "You can act? You don't seem like the acting type . . . no offense."

"I'm not offended," she replied, reaching for the bowl of chips on the coffee table. She grabbed a handful and dropped them into her mouth, chewing them loudly. "But you should be offended by me talking with my mouth full of the chips I ate without your permission."

Jason started laughing. "Eat them all you want."

Piper dropped the pillow she was holding to her chest and replaced it with the bowl.

"My dad liked acting," she said between handfuls. "He's good at it. Said it ran in the family. These are good chips."

"Walmart," Jason said, and Piper nodded, making a mental note to drop by Walmart and buy some chips.

(_Buy_, she promised herself. _Not steal._)

"So, I'm going to grab the camcorder. I'll be back in a bit. Just have to, you know, find it first."

Piper waited patiently on Jason's couch, eating all of his chips until the doorbell rang. The bowl almost fell out of her hands—she knew who it was, so she yelled at Jason and rushed to the door.

"Why hello, Beauty Queen."

Piper laughed, throwing her arms around Leo's neck. "Hello, Leo." She pulled back and kissed him for a lot longer than she probably should have, and she could hear Jason groaning behind her.

"What's your problem, Sparky?" Piper pulled back, leaning into Leo's embrace. Jason was holding the camcorder in his right hand, but he looked irritated, as if he was going to crush the camcorder in his fingers. "I see you and Reyna eating each other's faces all the time."

Jason threw his head back and groaned, setting the camcorder down on the coffee table. "That's not the problem."

"Then what is?" Piper pulled away from Leo, placing her hands on her hips. She raised an eyebrow at the blonde boy.

"Why did you bring Leo _all the time_?"

"You don't like me?" Leo asked, pouting.

Jason shook his head, running a hand through his light hair. "No, man, I do, it's just ... I mean, he's _always _here. He's not even part of our project."

"He's my _boyfriend_," Piper said, and Jason rolled his eyes.

"I don't bring Reyna wherever I go!"

"I bet you would if you two weren't so perfect," Piper retorted. She flipped her hair. "'Hi, I'm Reyna. I don't stalk Jason because that's weird and if it's weird then it's not perfect. But I totally would.'"

"What even—" Jason groaned again. "That's not even—"

Piper pointed at Jason. "Reyna is a stalker. She was watching me and Leo from a bush."

"You can't just say that about her!" Jason exclaimed, but Piper's expression said otherwise.

"I'll show you my texts with Annabeth." Piper placed her hand on her back pocket, where her phone sat safe and secure.

"Oh, yeah." Jason threw his hands up. "While you're at it, why don't you show me all those conversations with Leo when you plan the best way to interrupt our work sessions and get us a terrible grade on our project?"

"Why do you _care _so much?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

Piper stomped in frustration. "I don't get it! You're acting as if you're jealous or something!"

Jason couldn't think of a reply for that one.

He remained silent, and Piper kept glaring at him with harsh green eyes, expecting a snarky retort that would never come. She shook her head, turning on her heel and triumphantly marching to the door.

"Fuck the project," she said, shoving Leo through the door frame. "Fuck _you_."

* * *

><p>"<em>What happened<em>?"

Piper groaned, slamming her locker shut. "I'd rather not talk about that."

"You got into a fight with _Jason_?" Annabeth laughed nervously. "He almost never gets mad! Seriously, though. One time, I put a spoonful of cinnamon in his coffee and he didn't do anything."

Piper snorted. "Did he notice?"

"Oh, yeah. He noticed. You should have seen his face. Good blackmail material."

"Well." Piper sighed. "Apparently, he gets worked up when girls bring their boyfriends to _completely _appropriate locations."

". . . it wasn't _that _appropriate."

Piper glared at Annabeth, and the senior shrank back.

"Dang, Piper. Your glares are scarier than mine."

Piper held her head up a little higher. "Whatever. I just don't get it. Why did it matter so much to him?"

"He probably wanted a good grade," Annabeth offered.

"Yeah, because he's _perfect_."

"He's not ..." Annabeth shook her head. "Never mind. What was your grade?"

"We got a D." Piper exhaled. "I'm going to go find Leo. I'll see you later."

Annabeth said bye and Piper began to weave her way through the cafeteria, bumping into every other person and tripping on tables. The place was gigantic, which only made her think about how gigantic the building was, and then the Plaza, and the school campus itself. Confusing, but cool.

She finally spotted Leo at a table near the back, entertaining Frank and Hazel. He was telling a joke and Hazel burst into laughter. Frank laughed too, but his expression was different, as if Leo was dynamite that could explode any second. Piper giggled.

She snuck up behind Leo. Hazel saw her, raising her eyebrows. Piper pressed a finger to her lip. Frank was still staring at Leo with that funny expression, worried that he was going to blow up.

Piper covered Leo's eyes with her hands. He screamed, higher pitched than Piper's, and she laughed, pulling her hands back and placing them on his shoulders. She planted a kiss on his cheek and slid into the chair next to him, snuggling into his side.

She said, "you dork."

Leo knit his eyebrows. "That was scary."

"Scary?" Piper rolled her eyes. "You know what's scary? Reyna stalking us is scary."

She obviously brought up a bit of a touchy subject. Leo looked up at Hazel and Frank.

"Can you two, uh ..." He paused awkwardly. "Can you leave us alone for a bit? I need to talk to Piper."

Hazel nodded, her big gold eyes growing wide with worry. Frank just looked relieved to get away from Leo.

Piper adjusted herself, sitting up. Leo turned to her, and for once, he actually looked serious.

He got straight to the point. "Can you _please _try and make up with him?"

"Why?" Piper frowned.

"It's just ... I don't know, to be honest. It's kind of weird, having your best friend and your girlfriend hate each other."

"There's a perfectly good reason."

"... not really," Leo said nervously, as if he were afraid that he would push Piper too far. "I mean, I would be kind of pissed off too. In his situation."

Piper could have gone all basic-bitch and blabbed about how Leo was betraying her by taking Jason's side, but she sighed instead, pushing her bangs out of her face. (She really need to cut her hair. By herself. With safety scissors.)

Piper stood up, pecking Leo on the lips. "I guess it's worth a try. Do you know where he is?"

"F-5," Leo responded immediately. "It's the student council place, he hangs out there whenever he has free time."

Piper nodded, kissing Leo one more time. "If he still hates me, then it's not my fault."

"Oh well."

* * *

><p>Piper hesitantly knocked on F-5's door, gingerly peeking through.<p>

"Hi," she said quietly. Both Reyna and Jason were inside, eating lunch. Reyna said nothing—her face went blank and she kept her eyes on her salad. Jason, however, narrowed his eyes.

He said, "hey."

Piper tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Can I, um ... talk to you?"

Jason and Reyna looked at each other. Reyna just nodded, and Jason shrugged wordlessly, following Piper out into the hall.

"What do you want, Piper?" Jason said immediately, crossing his arms. Piper frowned. He really was pretty angry, wasn't he? If he didn't complain about cinnamon in his coffee ...

Piper opened her mouth, and then closed it again. It was hard, for whatever reason, to say sorry.

"Going to talk?"

Piper glared at him, effectively shutting him up.

"I'm sorry." Piper spread out her hands. "Sorry for bringing Leo to your house, sorry for overreacting ... sorry."

"Piper—"

"And eating all your chips. But in my defense, those were really good."

Jason actually laughed, and Piper sighed in relief. "I'm pretty sure that _I'm _the one who overreacted."

"Eh. We both kind of ..." Piper mimicked an explosion with her hands, and he laughed again. Piper beamed victoriously.

"Well. That was _way _easier than I thought it would be."

"What?"

"Apologizing," Jason explained. "I kind of expected this really dramatic soap opera kind of things."

"I've never understood soap operas."

"They're weird."

Piper stood there awkwardly. She didn't say anything—she didn't _know _what to say.

"... Leo told you to do this, didn't you?"

"Huh?" Piper perked up, swaying back and forth on her heels. "Um, no. _Please_."

Jason grinned. "For someone who says they're a good actress, you really suck at acting."

Piper rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. Jason held out his arms, wiggling his eyebrows, and it took Piper a while to realize what he meant.

"You want a _hug_?" She said, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Jason just nodded, smiling widely.

A smirk slowly made its way across Piper's face, and she began to back away. "Going to have to catch me, then."

Piper turned and started running down the hall, not even waiting to see if Jason was following. But he was, definitely, and he caught up to her immediately, wrapping his arms around her waist and picking her up.

"Jason!" She shrieked, wiggling around. He just laughed again (Piper realized just how often he laughed) and began to spin her around, leaning back into his heel. Piper's vision was a blur of the blue lockers and her brown hair.

"Jason?"

Jason abruptly stopped spinning. He carefully set Piper down, pulling his arms back to his side.

Reyna stood at the other side of the hall.

* * *

><p><strong>okay so the ending is really rushed because this chapter had to be longer than usual to fit in all the shtuff i wanted<strong>

**and it kind of sucks because i wrote like half of it in jason's pov before i looked at my outline and realized that it was piper's pov**

**but it includes an adorable little hint of jasper so enjoy**


	10. Chapter 10

"What dress are you wearing to the dance?"

Jason looked at Annabeth as if she'd just fallen from the moon. "What?" She asked.

"What _dress _am I wearing?"

"... did I actually say that?" Annabeth threw the red ball too hard. It ricocheted off the ceiling and crashed into her face. She winced.

Jason grinned at her. "Yes. My dress is really long and purple and frilly, and it has pink flowers on the straps."

"That sounds like a really ugly dress." Annabeth wrinkled her nose, but she smiled, swinging her legs off Jason's bed. "Sorry, I'm just a little confused. Stressed, maybe. I meant to ask what costume you were wearing."

"To be honest ..." Jason sighed. "I don't really know. It just kind of depends on Reyna ... do we really have to wear a costume?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "It's a Halloween dance, Jason."

"So?"

"Of _course _you have to wear a costume. It's Halloween!"

"You didn't wear a costume last year," Jason pointed out, and Annabeth had to admit that he had a good point. She hadn't dressed up last year, just watched a movie with Thalia and Jason, throwing popcorn at Thalia every time she made a snarky remark.

"Yeah, well." Annabeth spread her hands. "Just do it."

Jason held up his hands, leaning back in his black office chair. "Whatever."

"What do you think Reyna is going to be?" Annabeth asked.

"A queen."

"How come?"

Jason shrugged. "She's royalty," he said, winking at Annabeth, and she just laughed.

"I guess I can see her in a regal dress."

"A purple one."

"Mmhmm."

"And then she waltzes into the gym, all tall and proud, and everybody just bows down to her."

Annabeth snorted. "And you trail behind as her knight in shining armor, tripping on everything."

Jason threw a chip at her.

"I bet Thalia's going to crash the place," he said. "She's probably going to walk in thirty minutes late, looking like a legitimate zombie, and she's going to waddle around and scare the crap out of everyone."

"Except for Reyna," Annabeth continued, "because Reyna is probably going to scare the crap out of _her _if she comes in and messes up her dance. Speaking of which, where _is _Thalia?"

Jason held up a hand, signaling for Annabeth to be quiet. She shut her mouth and leaned forward, as if that would help her hear any better. Thalia was downstairs, screaming at someone. (Or something. You never knew with Thalia.)

"Who's she yelling at?" Annabeth said, assuming that Thalia was _probably _yelling at a person.

"You act as if I know."

Annabeth sighed, standing up and stretching leisurely. "Well, I'm going to go. I still have a bunch of things to do ... like order the decorations for the dance. When is it, again?"

"The _dance_? When's the _dance_?" Jason gave her that look again.

"Hey, my brain is all messed up. I just asked you what dress you were wearing."

"Fair enough. Next week, Friday night."

"Kay, thanks. I'm pretty sure the decorations should arrive by then ... I think the ones I wanted shipped from like, Columbia or something."

"What if they fall and get stuck in Annapolis and then some old lady finds it and decides to use it at the Halloween party she planned for her overly-spoiled grandchildren?"

Annabeth flicked him, but kissed his cheek nonetheless. This was the third time in a span of four minutes that Jason had made up a random scenario. "You and your childish imagination."

"It is not childish!" Jason called after her.

"Keep believing that, Sparky!"

"Only Piper can call me Sparky!"

Annabeth stopped yelling at him, just walked down the stairs and watched Thalia, who was angrily spouting inappropriate words into her cellphone.

Only Piper, huh?

* * *

><p>Annabeth was still up.<p>

It was only after a late date with Percy when she realized that she hadn't actually added the decorations she wanted to her Amazon wishlist. So she had to find them all over again.

At 1:00 AM, Annabeth still had a ton of things to do. She decided to multitask in a hopeful attempt to finish her tasks quicker—she juggled her hotel blueprints for Architectural Design, her AP Statistics homework, and an AP Euro paper due in two days. She made vain efforts to find the decorations again, but they were buried so deep in the list of items—in fact, she didn't even remember which ones they were anymore.

Her phone kept buzzing next to her. Piper, who she'd invited to the group text, was talking with Leo and Percy, and Annabeth was too lazy to tell them to shut up. It probably would have been a better idea to just turn on airplane mode, or turn her phone off completely, but _no_, she had to join in.

Piper talked the most. Annabeth noticed how friendly she was—with her boyfriend in the chat, she half-expected the entire conversation to be them giving each other cheesy compliments, but she regarded both Leo and Percy like they were her brothers.

(Was that a good thing or a bad thing?)

A few minutes later, Piper left to go to sleep. The conversation died down, and Annabeth left too, texting Percy goodnight and finishing up her homework. She finally ordered the decorations and shut down her laptop.

Her bed looked very comfortable.

She yawned and snuggled under her blankets, not even bothering to change into her pajamas.

* * *

><p>Annabeth practically stalked her package.<p>

Well, not practically. She _did_ stalk it. Everyday, she tracked the package and watched as it got closer and closer to her house. The dance was in one day, and the decorations still hadn't arrived.

She snuggled up against Percy, watching some helplessly cheesy romantic movie that she didn't even know the name of. Percy had just showed up at her door with a random DVD and popped the disc into her TV.

"Hey," he said gently, squeezing her shoulders. "They'll get here."

Annabeth just nodded. Her eyes darted between the TV screen and the clock. The hour hand ticked past eight, and she bit her lip.

The doorbell rang.

Annabeth jumped up. She almost fell over herself (and the coffee table) as she rushed to the door. Percy was laughing at her, but she didn't care.

She flung the door open, breathing heavily. The UPS man was walking down her front steps, not even bothering to turn around and apologize for being a lot later than he should have been. Annabeth considered yelling at him, but ultimately decided it would be a bad idea. She brought the large box inside and kicked the door closed.

With help from Percy, she set the box down on her dining table, attempting to rip it open with her hands.

Percy came up behind her with a pair of scissors in his hand, his eyebrows raised in amusement. "Looks like I'm the smart one now."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, taking the scissors and hastily ripping through the excessive tape. The flaps flung open, and she pushed her hands through completely unnecessary bubble wrap, pulling out everything she could find and throwing them onto the table.

"Wait, what?"

"Hmm?" Annabeth continued throwing everything around.

"What is ..." Percy frowned. He picked up the closest thing to him—a small, plastic bag with a letter banner—and read off the label. "_Welcome Baby Banner_?"

Annabeth froze. The bag of balloons she was holding slipped through her fingers, dropping to the ground. She grabbed the bag from Percy and read the label, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"No ..." she murmured, shaking her head

Frantically, she scanned over all the other things she'd ordered. All the decorations, the banners and balloons and things, were baby blue and light pink, made for a baby shower. And then there were the dining products—the spoons and forks, the knives, the tablecloths, the plates and cups and bowls, they all said "Happy Spring," except for the cutlery, which were just bright yellow.

This couldn't be happening. She didn't order any of this. She ordered Halloween party decorations, she was sure of it. _Pretty _Halloween decorations, that were rather expensive too. Before she knew it, she was hyperventilating. Her eyes darted around, looking at all the wrong decorations. She drew shaky breaths, wringing her hands. "This isn't right," she muttered over and over, like a mantra. Percy ran his hand up and down her back, in a feeble attempt to comfort her.

"It's okay," he said softly. "We can just buy new ones."

Annabeth shook her head again. "That's not the problem. The problem is that I didn't order ..." She trailed off, her eyes widening. Without saying another word, she turned and rushed up to her room, unplugging her laptop and running back down just as quickly. Percy looked as if he'd wanted to follow her, but decided against it at the last second.

She dove onto her couch and opened up her laptop. Hastily, she went onto Amazon and checked her orders.

Sure enough, her two more recent orders were a baby shower decoration pack and a spring dining set.

"Oh my god," she said quietly, staring at her screen. "_Oh my god_."

"Annabeth ..." Percy leaned over and shut her laptop, gently placing it on the coffee table. He walked around the couch and sat down next to her. "We'll buy new ones.

"I can't believe it," Annabeth muttered. "I messed it up, I never mess things up, and the fact that I messed _this _up, something that was so important, something that concerned more than one person, _the entire student body_—"

"_Annabeth_," Percy repeated. He slowly wrapped his arms around her hunched frame, pulling her close to him and pressing a kiss into her wild mane of blonde curls. "It's okay. You're okay. I know that it was late, and you were tired, and you were stressed, and everything is perfectly understandable. We'll buy new ones, okay? We'll go to Walmart and buy new ones, okay?"

Annabeth remained quiet for a long time, just pondering on how many times Percy had said the word _okay_. "Okay," she whispered, adjusting herself in his embrace as a small smile made its way across her face. "Okay," she said louder, and Percy chuckled, squeezing her shoulders.

* * *

><p>Annabeth stared down at her shopping cart, knitting her eyebrows in disappointment. "These look cheap."<p>

"It's better than nothing," Percy said.

"No," Annabeth replied, pushing her cart forward as the line moved along. "It's better than having Reyna yell at me because the Halloween dance is suddenly a springtime baby shower."

Percy laughed, slipping an arm around Annabeth's waist. He gently placed a hand under her chin, turning her head and placing his lips on hers. "Yeah, it definitely is."

"I love you."

"Love you more."

"Good to know, because you're paying for this."

* * *

><p><strong>im evil<strong>

**you didn't get to see how reyna reacted to the friggin flobber goppin adorable little jasper scene**

_**and you never will**_

**so i thought i'd just incorporate some percabeth into this because why not**

**i kind of accidentally refreshed the page once or twice and got rid of all my progress so oops that's why it kind of sucks**

**and it includes a little bit of foreshadowing though what i'm foreshadowing is obviously inevitable**

**k bye**


	11. Chapter 11

Cologne smelled weird.

That's what Jason thought, anyway. Or maybe it was actually quite nice, and he just thought it smelled weird because the entire thing was a weird situation.

Under normal circumstances, Jason would have been fine with Thalia excessively spraying him. If it was for a formal party or something, then sure, he'd totally go for it.

But it was Halloween. He was dressed up as Superman and he smelled like lavender.

"You already look like a pervert," Thalia insisted, sizing up his tight costume in her full-length mirror. "No need to smell like a pervert, too."

Jason frowned. "Lavender smells kind of pervy to me."

"No, it doesn't. Your nostrils are clogged with retardation." Thalia proceeded to spray directly up his nose, and he sneezed.

The scent was nice, admittedly. It was sweet. But it really didn't match with Superman.

He kept whining, but tried hard to keep his mouth closed. Thalia made a few more rounds, spraying his entire body at least seven times, before standing back and taking a deep sniff.

"You smell anti-perv," she said, nodding proudly. Jason rolled his eyes.

Another ten minutes and he was shoved out of the door with an abnormally large amount of gel in his hair and a cheek that was still wet from Thalia's soggy kiss. He sat in his car for a straight minute, staring into the mirror from every possible angle.

Okay, so yes. He kind of looked like a pervert. Superman looked like a pervert. But people liked Superman, so why not like Jason?

The engine roared to life and he pushed his foot against the gas pedal. His hands turned the steering wheel automatically—after five years, the route to Reyna's house was embedded into his mind.

Her large house was decorated appropriately. Jason believed that there were two ways one could decorate their house for Halloween. There was the perky, childish way, in which pumpkins with happy faces sat on the front steps and all the lights were on and an overly excitable old woman always opened the door and gave out five pounds of candy to every person, whether they be four years old or graduating college.

Then there was the creepy way, where everything was dark and black and morbid and at least one person walked with an incredibly realistic weapon, scaring the shit out of everyone.

Otherwise known as the way that the Ramirez-Arellano family decorated their house _every single year_.

But their neighborhood was always changing. Five families, on average, moved in and out every few months, so there were always different people to freak out. And then there was Jason, who, despite all the times he'd been to their house on Halloween, was _still _freaked out.

He parked in front of her house, careful to avoid the toddler dressed as Thomas the Train bounding across the street and his terrified mother racing after him. A faint smile made its way across Jason's face as he got out of the car.

Gingerly, he made his way to her front door. Sure, he was still a little scared, but he knew what to avoid. The small tripwire behind the tree—a hand would pop out of the ground and make a feeble attempt to wrap itself around its victim. That one scared Jason all the time, and Reyna would just laugh at him. The decapitated zombie that would spring out if enough pressure was applied to a certain patch of grass. And the Grim Reaper that stalked around on the driveway, guarding the bowl of candy? Kinzie, one of Hylla's friends. It was always Kinzie. Jason waved at her.

He reached for the doorbell, but hesitated, vaguely remembering some kind of trick. Ultimately, he pressed the doorbell and sighed in relief when nothing happened.

The door flung open immediately. Hylla stood in the doorway, dressed in what looked like pajamas. Her dark hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and she looked completely unpresentable.

"You look stupid," was the first thing she said.

Jason snorted. "Thanks, Hylla."

"My pleasure," she replied, opening the door wider and letting him inside. Hylla had never really liked Jason that much, but Reyna said that was normal. She didn't like boys in general. One day in ninth grade, Reyna had walked up to Jason and told him that Hylla thought he was okay. He'd never felt prouder in his entire life.

"Jason!" Reyna called from upstairs. "I'm almost done."

Jason was about to reply, but Hylla beat him to it. "I suggest you stay upstairs. Your boyfriend looks like an idiot."

He knit his eyebrows, and Hylla stuck her tongue out.

"He always does," Reyna replied, and Hylla choked on her lollipop.

"Are you _serious_?" Jason cried, watching as Reyna's sister doubled over in laughter.

"See," Hylla began, taking a deep breath, "this is why females are better than males."

"Girls are mean," Jason grumbled, sinking into their couch, and Hylla pinched his cheek.

Reyna stayed upstairs for another ten minutes. Hylla had grudgingly let Jason watch TV with her. Girl vs. Monster was on Disney Channel, and Hylla seemed to be enjoying it. Either that, or she was enjoying pelting Jason with popcorn.

A sound of shoes tapping against hardwood stairs echoed through the halls. Hylla continued noisily chomping on popcorn, still attempting to stick some in Jason's hair. But he jumped—literally—at the opportunity to get away from Hylla and her popcorn. He stood up, reaching into her bowl and blowing a handful into her face, and strode toward the stairs with a proud sort of swagger.

Reyna stood in front of the mirror, biting her lip. She was seemingly fixing her hair, but Jason didn't think that it needed any fixing. It was pulled into a tight braid, which was usual, but it looked like she'd actually put some effort into it, which wasn't usual.

She was dressed like some sort of Roman warrior princess, with a golden breastplate over a long white dress and gladiator sandals. Jason momentarily forgot how to talk.

"You know," she began, patting her hair down. "I'm not completely sure if I'm comfortable wearing this in public."

Jason blinked. His eyes traveled down—it was a slit dress, or at least, that's what he thought it was called. Thalia had gone to prom when Jason was ten and forced him to come along, having insisted that at ten years old, he was too young to stay home alone. Thalia ignored him for most of the night and a group of fashionistas had pulled Jason into their little group, talking about dresses the entire time. And how cute Jason was.

"Say something, please?" Jason snapped out of his reverie. Reyna was staring at him, her dark eyes bigger than ever.

Jason shook his head. "No, Reyna ... _god_, you look amazing. And I look like an idiot."

"Relax." Reyna smiled warmly, placing her hands on his arms as she pressed her lips to his. "You only look slightly more idiotic than usual."

"Gee, thanks. That makes me feel a whole lot better." Reyna laughed, kissing him again. Hylla threw popcorn at them from the living room, yelling about public displays of affection and boy cooties.

"We should go." Reyna grabbed Jason's wrist and pulled him out of Hylla's line of fire. "Before, you know, Hylla makes another bowl of popcorn and uses it as ammo for her Nerf gun."

Jason snorted. "Does that even work?" Reyna just shrugged.

"You never know with Hylla." Reyna closed the door behind them, tugging on the handle to make sure it was completely locked. Kinzie had temporarily taken off her mask to say bye to them. Except it wasn't really both of them, mostly Reyna. Kinzie didn't like boys, either. But she held a certain attraction to Percy that Annabeth had yet to realize.

Jason opened the door for Reyna, being the pervy-looking gentleman he was, and then got in himself. Goode was on the other side of Manhattan, so they had some driving to do. And how Reyna managed to get on time every single day, Jason still didn't know.

"How are you, my fine lady?" Jason asked, sitting up a little straighter. Reyna laughed.

"I'm okay," she said, running her thumb over her glossy fingernails. "Great, actually. Now that the Halloween dance is over, I don't really have a lot to do ... which could be a good thing, or a bad thing."

"Oh! That reminds me." Jason turned a corner. "Piper invited—"

"_Piper_, huh?"

"Yeah ..." Jason nodded. He quickly turned his head—Reyna was staring straight ahead, a blank expression plastered onto her face.

"Continue."

"Piper invited me to see a movie on Sunday, and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come?"

Reyna's jaw tightened. "Are you sure _Piper _would be okay with me coming?"

Jason frowned. "Yeah. Why wouldn't she be?"

"As far as I know, _Piper _doesn't like me."

"Why wouldn't she like you?" Reyna was about to answer, but Jason waved his hand, cutting her off. "Never mind that. She likes you. So are you coming, or not?"

Reyna didn't say anything for a while. Jason was afraid that he'd frustrated her, though as to why, he wasn't really sure. She seemed awfully irritated, which irritated Jason.

"No."

"_What_?" Jason almost ran the red light. "Why not?"

"More like _why_?" Reyna retorted. "There's no good reason."

"Yes, there is. I mean, Piper and Leo will be there, cuddling, and I'll be there alone—" Reyna turned on him. Her dark eyes were ignited with a dangerous spark, and Jason realized what he'd just said.

"Is that the only reason you want me to come along?" Reyna demanded, her nostrils flaring. "Because you don't want to be _alone_? You don't want to be a third wheel?"

Jason's eyes widened. "No, Reyna, that's not—"

"Why don't you just in and steal Piper then, huh?" Reyna was livid now. Her hands flew around in exaggeration.

"_What_?"

"Why don't you just show up at the movie theater and kiss Piper and leave Leo all alone, just because you can't stand to be alone yourself?"

"What is _wrong_ with you?"

"What's wrong with _me_?" Reyna laughed bitterly. "How about, what's wrong with _you_?"

"Why do you _care_—" Jason cut himself off. This was the exact same question Piper had asked him, the reason he'd blown up. And then here he was with Reyna. And both of them were about to blow up.

"I know you like her," Reyna said, quietly. She was staring out her window, her hands gripping the armrest so hard that her olive knuckles turned white. "I can see it."

"Reyna, I don't—"

"And if you like her, then I strongly suggest you go for her. She's a pretty girl."

"What are you even—"

Jason stopped at the next red light. Before he could realize what was happening, Reyna unbuckled and reached for the door handle.

"Reyna!" Jason cried. He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away just as fast, stepping out of the car. "_Please_, Reyna."

She looked down first, helplessly trying to flatten her dress against the October wind. And when she looked up, her face was blank again. But her eyes held all the emotion. Her dark irises were sad, the whites of her eyes bloodshot. Tears danced along her lower lash line, threatening to fall, but from the wind or the situation, Jason didn't really know.

"Bye."

She slammed the door.

* * *

><p>Jason didn't go to the dance.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>omg hylla is ooc but literally i love how i portrayed her she is like my favorite character in this story now<strong>

**and so yes i guess you kind of did get to see how reyna reacted to the whole jasper thing**

**and it pains me to say this but honestly**

**i hated breaking up jeyna and i don't even know why because i sure as hell don't ship them**

**and i apologize for the breakup scene i'm not really experienced with this kind of shtuff so i just randomly chose an argument and went with it**

**also, i need some recommendations for jasper stories. i think i ran out and there's a good chance i've read like all of the decent ones out there so pleeeeeeeaseeeeeee _recommend senpai_**


	12. Chapter 12

**quick a/n: i haven't planned this chapter, or any future chapters, because i've been really lazy lately, so if annabeth ends up kissing an aardvark then i apologize**

* * *

><p>Word of the breakup spread immediately.<p>

Really, there was no reason that it wouldn't. Jason and Reyna were not only co-student body presidents, but they were co-student body presidents in their _junior _year, which only made them more popular. They'd known each other since sixth grade, and been best friends ever since, until Jason built up the guts to ask her out. Everybody thought they were untouchable. Nothing, no one, could come between them.

Until Piper came to Goode.

According to many gossiping sources, Reyna broke up with Jason because of another girl. And apparently, that girl just happened to be Piper.

Ever since the breakup was revealed, people had been avoiding Piper as if she were some kind of contagious disease. Every other minute, a hate note was thrown at her head, and every other second, someone sent her a dirty look.

She put up with it for a long time. After all, she was used to bullying. (If it even qualified as bullying.) But she failed to understand why people were making such a big deal out of it. Couples broke up all the time. Especially celebrity couples, but did fangirls send hate letters to their penthouses? Probably not.

Hopefully not.

Someone almost nailed Piper's eye, but she raised her hand just in time to catch it. It was folded at least twenty times, so she leisurely opened it, sighing. She knew what was coming.

_stay away from jason. or any other boy for that matter._

She groaned. Her drama teacher noticed—Ms. Grant stopped the class and walked to her spot on the floor, looking down at her expectantly.

"Well?" She said. Her hand was outstretched, waiting for the note.

Piper didn't give it to her. Instead, she ripped it up and stuck the shreds into her backpack. She looked up at Ms. Grant, plastering a tight smile onto her face. Ms. Grant stared at her for a few seconds longer, but eventually she walked away, looking back suspiciously.

Piper sighed in relief.

* * *

><p>Everybody knew about the breakup. And the glares. And the notes.<p>

The first text she would see when she got home was from Annabeth, asking if she was okay. And that was followed by texts from everyone else, asking the same question and demanding to know what had happened that day. It was a group chat, after all.

(Except Jason left the chat.)

Piper would respond with a simple "I'm fine" and a smiley face and leave it at that. She didn't like to elaborate on the details.

Homework. Netflix. Food. The same routine as usual, except at the end of everyday, after Jane had checked to sure she was sleeping, she would take out the notes and read them over and over again.

(Not _everyone _knew. Jane and Tristan didn't.)

Piper flipped through the notes. They all had the same general message. Some were a little harsher than others, but Piper didn't mind. She didn't want to let it get to her. And she still didn't really understand why they cared so much.

"Lights out," she whispered, turning off her flashlight.

* * *

><p>Perhaps approaching Jason during lunch wasn't the best idea.<p>

He'd been sitting alone for the past few days. He didn't look sad, exactly. Just lost in thought.

Piper watched him from her table. Leo sat next to her, and she turned to him, biting her lip.

"Should I do it?" She asked quietly. Leo didn't say anything—just gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.

Hesitantly, Piper stood up and began to make her way across the cafeteria, to Jason's table in the far right corner. People were beginning to stare at her—they knew where she was going. She almost turned around and ran back to Leo, but she held her chin up high and continued walking.

"Hi."

Jason blinked out of his trance. He looked up at Piper, keeping a straight face. "Hey, Piper."

"How are you?" Piper sat down before anybody could tell her not to.

"I'm, uh, okay." Jason blinked at her again. She was obviously confusing him.

"Are you okay?" She asked, before realizing that he just said he was, and she shook her head. "I mean, how are you holding up? Like ... gah. I'm really sorry, Jason. About the breakup, I mean."

Jason chuckled lightly. "I'm fine ... but, more importantly, how are you?"

It was Piper's turn to blink. The question took her by surprise. "How am _I_? I'm fine, like usual ... why do you ask?"

"I know about the letters, Piper." Jason's face scrunched up in concern.

"Oh." Piper's voice was suddenly small, and she leaned back in her chair. "_Oh_."

"Piper, they're my fault. I'm so sorry. I've tried to stop them, I swear, but ..." Jason bit his lip. "They're stubborn. Really. I'm sorry."

Piper didn't say anything. She just stared at him.

"Piper ..." Jason said quietly. He reached out, as if to comfort her, but pulled back. "What do they say?"

"They, um, they're not a problem." Piper shook her head again. Her eyes were suddenly wet, and she blinked rapidly. She refused to make eye contact with Jason, so she found interest in her hands. "I'm okay."

"Piper." This time, Jason's hand was on her chin. He forced her to look at him. "_What do they say_?"

"Nothing." Piper stood up so fast that her chair fell over. "Nothing, it's fine. Bye."

Piper was well aware of the fact that Jason was still yelling her name, but she continued to walk back to her table. Leo saw her, and he stood up immediately, spreading out his arms. But for the first time, she pushed past him.

Needless to say, the letters _certainly _had gotten to her. But they just kept coming and coming, and nobody could really stop it.

So when she saw the words _slut _and _whore _spray painted in bright red onto her locker door, she wasn't sure whether to be surprised or not.

* * *

><p>Piper was certainly miserable.<p>

For one thing, both Jane and Tristan found out. Piper had come home crying, and Jane had noticed. So she demanded to know what happened, and Piper had to tell her. And then Jane called Tristan, and Tristan called Piper.

"I'm fine," she insisted, swallowing. "Just some people overreacting. It's nothing."

"_Nothing_?" Tristan shouted. Piper winced, even though he wasn't there in person. "It's not nothing, Piper! Do you even remember that they called you a—"

Piper hung up before he could say anything else.

And there was another problem. He wasn't there in person. His daughter was absolutely, positively _depressed_, and he certainly knew that, and despite the fact that he wasn't even shooting anything at that particular moment, he still didn't come home.

Piper hadn't gone to school the past few days. Jane was fine with that. She'd been noticeably nicer, even nicer than she'd been when Piper went on her first date with Leo.

And finally, it was the start of a new week. It was a Monday, and Piper hated Mondays, and now she hated them even more. She tried her best to look somewhat presentable, but it was kind of hard as she moped around the condo, refusing to eat her breakfast.

"Piper," Jane had said, resting her hand on her shoulder. "You have to eat."

Piper blew her hair out of her face. "I don't want to."

Jane forced a spoonful of Fruit Loops into Piper's mouth.

Dressed in a Fall Out Boy t-shirt and skinny jeans, Piper walked to school. She tried her hardest not to make eye contact with anyone.

Except for Leo.

Piper remembered that she hadn't really seen _anyone _over the past few days. She'd barely been out of the house—only once, when Jane needed her to run some groceries. She managed to sneak a bag of Sour Patch Kids into the pocket of her hoodie, and no one noticed.

"_Piper_!" Leo yelled. Piper frowned. She didn't want to blow her nonexistent cover. But it was Leo, so maybe she was totally fine with it.

Leo ran up to her and tackled her with a hug. He squeezed her to death, and she literally couldn't breathe.

"Leo," she choked out. But she was smiling. Laughing.

"God, Piper, sorry." Leo pulled back and grabbed both sides of her face, pressing a long kiss to her lips. She responded eagerly, slipping her arms around his waist.

"Are you okay?" Leo asked, pressing his forehead to hers. "I'm sorry, Piper, I'm so sorry."

Piper kissed him again. "You have no idea how many people have told me that. I'm okay."

Leo smiled gently at her, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. He led her to her first class—social studies—and he stayed by her side until the bell rang, death glaring at everyone who looked at her.

Piper absolutely loved that boy.

When the bell finally rang, Leo left with a kiss.

Jason wasn't in class. But halfway through the period, his voice rang out from the loudspeaker.

"What's up, guys?" He sounded pretty perky. "It's Jason."

A feminine voice came on next. "And Reyna."

Gasps and smiles. Blah blah.

"So, today, we'd like to address an issue that includes a certain female student by the name of Piper McLean."

Piper's eyes widened. Everyone turned around to look at her, and she groaned, slamming her head onto her desk. And the worst part? Everyone knew her last name.

"We're well aware," Reyna said, "of the fact that someone put some very inappropriate—"

"And _untrue_," Jason added.

"Yes," Reyna agreed. "Untrue. Someone put very inappropriate and untrue things on her locker a few days ago, and that caused her to leave school for a few days."

Jason sighed. "Gotta say, guys, we're kind of disappointed."

"We'd just like you to know that Jason and I—we broke up for a perfectly good reason, and that reason isn't Piper. And obviously, Jason and I are in the same room together, so yes, we are certainly still friends."

"There's no reason for you guys to be hating on Piper."

"She didn't do anything."

"So pretty much, what we're trying to say isー"

"_Back off_," Reyna finished. The two signed off.

* * *

><p><strong>i understand that this chapter deals with a bit of a touchy subject, but i had no idea where it was going. hope you enjoyed. :)<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

In all honesty, Annabeth was way happier than she might have been her entire life.

And it was weird, really, considering the fact that one: she got a B on her hotel design and two: Jason and Reyna broke up. The hotel design didn't really affect her grade, though, and Jason and Reyna were as close as ever.

Jason and _Piper _were certainly getting closer, though. Annabeth didn't want to turn into one of those angry fangirls and send a hate note at Piper's face, but she secretly feared for Leo and Piper. But it wasn't really secret, and everyone knew. Except for Liper themselves. And Jason. (Which was cliche.)

"Matchmaker Annabeth is so weird," Percy groaned. He dug his face into Annabeth's shoulder. "Why can't you just _let it go_?"

Frank started singing under his breath. Hazel scolded him.

Annabeth just sighed, dreamily petting Percy's hair. "I don't want to let it go. I want to take pictures of them and interview them and put everything into a scrapbook so that I can cherish it throughout my entire life."

"Why—"

"And then I'm going to stalk them when they get married, and if they have a baby girl, I'm going to force them to name her Annabeth."

Percy sat up, shaking his head. He was very obviously amused, though. "_You're so weird_."

Looking back on it, she was acting a lot weirder than usual. She'd only been this crazy once, and that was when Jason and Reyna had just started dating. The admiration faded away eventually, but she still kept an eye on them.

The _Liper_ admiration didn't look like it was going to fade away any time soon.

Annabeth dragged Percy through Michael's. She forced him to help her find a good scrapbook.

"Jeez, Annabeth, I thought you were kidding," he complained.

"I never _kid_," she replied with a sweet smile. He rolled his eyes.

Annabeth eventually decided upon a bright red scrapbook, with a perfect slot in the front for a picture of Leo and Piper, and an excessive amount of love stickers.

* * *

><p>"You're obsessed."<p>

Annabeth would have denied it. But it was completely true.

"I know." Annabeth bit her lip, scrolling through the pictures of Leo and Piper on her phone. They were all candid—whenever Annabeth spotted them together, she would whip out her phone and take a quick picture before anybody could catch her. Willing to break the rules for them? Yes, certainly obsessed.

"It's not healthy, you know," Reyna said. She was sitting cross-legged on Annabeth's bed, grinning at her.

"I know," Annabeth repeated. "Cheetos aren't healthy either. But they're addictive."

Reyna opened her mouth to reply, but she just nodded, silently admitting that Annabeth had a point.

Annabeth got up from the floor and jumped onto her bed, next to Reyna, who almost flew off. "How's this picture?"

Reyna leaned forward, peering at Annabeth's dark screen. "Hmm," she said. She smiled. "It's cute."

"I know, right?" Annabeth whispered. She looked up, and Reyna was trying her hardest not to laugh. "What?" She demanded.

"It's just—" Reyna burst into laughter. She guffawed for a straight minute, and Annabeth just stared at her. "You're so _weird._"

"_Thanks_," Annabeth replied, sticking her tongue out. "But I'm sure Leo and Piper wouldn't mind."

"Speaking of Piper, she's right outside your door."

Annabeth practically threw the scrapbook across her room, but she scrambled after it, sticking it under a pile of textbooks. "_What_?"

"I asked her to come over," Reyna said brightly, holding up her phone. "I'm planning something."

"You could have _told _me!"

"Nah. Didn't feel like it."

Annabeth slapped Reyna upside the head before darting out of her room, rushing down the stairs and almost tripping over herself in the process. She flung open the front door, and sure enough, Piper was standing there, dressed in shorts and an oversized plaid shorts.

"Hi!" She exclaimed.

"Hey, Piper ..." Annabeth replied. "Um, no offense, but ... why are you here?"

Piper just grinned at her, welcoming herself into Annabeth's humble abode. "Reyna's got a plan."

"Well, yeah." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "That's what she said."

Piper was already halfway up Annabeth's staircase. "Come on!"

Annabeth grudgingly followed Piper up to her own room. Piper had claimed majority of Annabeth's bed, squeezing Reyna against the wall, but the girl seemed fine with it. Reyna and Piper were getting along surprisingly well.

Annabeth herself sat down in her swivel chair, giving herself a spin. "So ... what's up?"

"We're going to prank Jason."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Why?"

Piper looked at Reyna, grinning mischievously. "Because. It'll be fun."

"... why Jason?"

Reyna shrugged. "I've known him for a long time. He's an easy target."

"... and you planned this without me?"

Piper sighed. Annabeth realized that she was in on the entire thing, too. "It was tough. We were missing our master planner."

Reyna dramatically nodded, her eyes widening. Piper looked at her, and Reyna looked back, and suddenly they were both doubling over in laughter. Annabeth felt like a third wheel, which was unusual. She was usually in charge of things, especially when the other people were a year younger than her.

Annabeth cleared her throat. It took the other two girls another minute or two to calm down completely, but eventually, they quieted down. Annabeth sat up straighter, in hopes of showing off her so-called authority. "So, what are we doing? Exchanging the avocado in his food for wasabi? Or changing his socks so that they don't match?"

Reyna and Piper stared at her. She shrunk back.

"First of all," Reyna began. "He doesn't like avocados. So he doesn't eat them."

"And second, I don't think he even cares if his socks are mismatched." Piper blinked. "I don't think _anyone _cares."

"I care," Annabeth mumbled.

"We're going to go for something simple." Reyna swung her legs around, hanging them off the bed. She kicked her bare heels against the bed platform.

Piper grinned proudly. "Dying his hair pink."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "Pink?"

"The _manliest _color," Reyna said, and Piper nodded. She still had a dopey smile on her face.

* * *

><p>"<em>Girls<em>."

Annabeth stopped dead in her tracks. So did Reyna, and Piper crashed into her, falling backward. She regained her balance and straightened, raising her eyebrows as if she hadn't almost fallen onto the linoleum floors of the school hallways.

Jason stood in front (or maybe behind) them. He had a bottle of shampoo in one hand, and he was clicking his tongue, but he was obviously amused. A smile was fighting its way across his face, although he was obviously trying to hide it.

"So, I took this bottle and opened it up one day, and suddenly, half of it was pink." Jason shrugged. "I'm not stupid."

"You'd be surprised," Piper said, smirking at him, and Annabeth snickered.

"Yeah, yeah." He waved his hand, grinning right back at her.

"_Piper_," Reyna whisper-yelled. "I told you to mix it!"

"I did."

"_Well_!"

Piper looked offended. "Hey, I tried. Look, I already stole the dye so the least you could do is cut me some—"

"_Stole _it?" Reyna turned so quickly, her braid came around and hit Piper in the face.

Piper's reaction to the braid was priceless, but she cleared her throat. "It was nothing. Like, two dollars."

"Then why didn't you _buy_—"

Reyna was cut off by Jason, who promptly walked up to her and squirted a mix of men's shampoo and hot pink hair dye onto her hair. She gasped, too shocked to do anything but stand there as it poured down her face and onto her shirt. Annabeth and Piper just watched—nobody dared to do something like that to Reyna. Except for her ex-boyfriend.

Jason grinned wider. "And that's what you get."

"Oh—" Reyna reached up and wiped her hand across her face, shaking off the excess. "_Jason Grace_."

She reached for the bottle, fast as lightning, but Jason was faster. He pulled back, holding the shampoo above his head. Reyna cursed her lack of height. She was pretty tall, around as tall as Annabeth, but Jason was even taller.

And then Piper, who was noticeably shorter than all of them, jumped and grabbed the bottle of shampoo, catching Jason off guard. He whipped around, but Piper was quick. She already had the bottle at the ready, and she gave it a tight squeeze. The contents erupted onto Jason's face, and he stumbled backward.

Annabeth burst out laughing. She didn't even bother to help up Jason, just watched as he flailed around on the floor. Reyna was laughing too, despite the partly pink shampoo that was now dripping onto her pants. Piper had on her signature smirk, and she was holding the bottle up.

"Huh." She put on a look of approval. "I might keep this."

"Yeah. Keep it." Jason was standing again, shaking his head. The shampoo was starting to make its way down his white shirt, coloring it pink.

Piper smiled brightly. "Thanks!" She turned to open up her backpack and placed the shampoo inside (Annabeth thought she was kidding), but not before Jason embraced her in a tight hug.

Thus effectively covering her in hot pink shampoo.

"Jason!" She screamed, pulling back.

"Oops." Jason was grinning at her again, and he wrapped an arm around her slumped figure. "My bad."

She crossed her arms, frowning. "Hmph."

Reyna wasn't even annoyed by the fact that Jason had just hugged her. (Twice, technically.) Instead, she was laughing again, harder than before, and she grasped the nearest locker for support. Annabeth was more annoyed than Reyna, by the looks of it. Jason was threatening her Liper.

"Well," Annabeth said, backing away slowly. She didn't want to have the same fate. "I'm just going to go now. Percy's waiting. Yeah, he's waiting outside."

Piper looked up at Annabeth. And slowly but surely, she was grinning again, uncrossing her arms and opening up the shampoo bottle. Annabeth's eyes widened.

Jason raised her eyebrows at Piper. "Why—" He looked at Annabeth, and he suddenly had a smile identical to that of the girl next to him. Reyna walked up next to Piper, smiling at Annabeth through the shampoo.

Piper raised the shampoo bottle. "Oh, no you don't."

Annabeth learned that shampoo tasted pretty bad.


	14. Chapter 14

"So. Winter break."

Annabeth slammed a gigantic purple binder onto the table, practically scaring Jason out of his wits.

"Damn, Annie." Leo whistled. He had an arm slung around Piper, who was snuggled into his side, half-sitting on her chair and half-sitting on Leo.

Annabeth shot a glare in his direction, and he raised his hands in surrender. "We go on this trip every year, Leo. Don't act as if you haven't seen this before."

"I haven't," Leo muttered, and Piper snickered.

"Anyway." Annabeth cleared her throat and opened up the binder. "We have a few options this year."

"And ..." Jason sat forward. "Those options are probably the same as last year."

"Yes," Annabeth agreed, "but with a couple of new ones. And the final decision will go to our newest member."

Annabeth gestured toward Piper, who mock bowed and caused the group to erupt in laughter.

"Settle down," Annabeth said, even if she was laughing herself. She reminded Jason of his third grade teacher. "Of course, Rome and Greece are still on the table."

"No," Leo and Percy said in unison. Jason regretted not joining in.

Annabeth knit her eyebrows. "What's so bad about them?"

"Boring," Leo replied, playing with one of Piper's braids. Percy nodded his head in agreement.

"I don't see anything wrong with them," Reyna said.

"Aside from the fact that they're totally boring?" Percy said, raising his eyebrows.

Annabeth grudgingly sighed.

"Okay then, those are officially off the table. We still have Florida."

"As much as I love Disney World," Leo began, gesturing to the coincidental Mickey Mouse badge he had pinned to his suspenders, "we've gone there for the past two years."

"I'm up for Disney World," Percy said.

Jason shook his head. Percy was always up for Disney World.

"But the rest of us aren't." Annabeth smirked at her boyfriend, somehow managing to resist his puppy eyes. (Even Jason couldn't bring himself to do that.)

"What's left, then?" Piper asked, leaning on the table. Leo frowned—he obviously liked having Piper in his embrace.

"We have California."

"Nah." Piper waved it off. "I've been there a few times, and I gotta admit that it's pretty nice, but it's just a downgraded Florida."

The group murmured agreement.

"Hawaii?"

"Is it really that great during winter?" Hazel asked. She was lying against Frank's chest, and he was absolutely flustered. Jason thought it was kind of cute.

"It's perfectly fine," Annabeth insisted, but she was silent as she came to terms with the other argument. "But I suppose that it's better during the summer."

"Anything else?" Piper asked. She relaxed again, falling back into Leo, who looked pretty happy.

"Well." Annabeth sighed again, flipping to the last page of the binder. "There's Paris."

Hazel squealed. That also almost scared Jason out of his wits.

"I want to go to Paris!" She exclaimed. Her gold eyes grew wide. "It's the city of love! Who doesn't love _love_?"

"I don't," Piper muttered, blowing her hair out of her face. But in Leo's arms, Jason figured that she really did.

"I want to go to Paris," Hazel repeated, looking up at Frank. He was, as expected, blushing again. "Don't you, Frank?"

Frank rubbed his neck. "Uh, yeah. Paris is cool."

Annabeth spread her hands, looking at the rest of the group.

"City of love," Percy said, wiggling his eyebrows at his girlfriend. Annabeth rolled her eyes, but her face was just as red as Frank's.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Reyna shrugged. "Paris is fine with me."

"I guess ..." Jason bit his lip. City of love. With both Reyna _and_ Piper. That could prove to be awkward. Even though it shouldn't have been at that point.

Annabeth motioned for him to continue.

"Uh, sure."

Leo grinned. "Paris, here I come!"

Piper was the only person who hadn't replied. Annabeth raised an eyebrow at her.

"I don't know, guys." She wrung her hands. "I have a bit of a bad history with Paris. And maybe a bit of a bad future."

Jason didn't feel like asking what she meant.

Percy threw up his hands. "Where _haven't_ you been?"

"... Antarctica." Piper smiled sheepishly.

"Wonderful," Percy said dryly. "Because people _always _go to Antartica."

"It's totally normal," Piper replied, playing along.

Annabeth cleared her throat loudly. "_Paris_?"

Jason watched as Annabeth and Piper entered an intense staring contest. The rest of the group was probably thinking the same thing—nobody _dared _to challenge Annabeth Chase in a staring contest. She could hold her ground for twelve hours.

But Piper was holding her own ground. She was standing, leaning into the table and progressively narrowing her eyes until finally, Annabeth cracked.

"Crap!" She exclaimed, shaking her head. "Why the hell do your eyes change color?"

Piper swayed, batting her eyelashes. "I'm special."

"_I. Love. You_." Leo pulled Piper back into his lap, placing an excessive amount of kisses onto her face. "You just beat Annabeth Chase in a staring contest. _The _Annabeth Chase. The _unbeatable _Annabeth Chase."

Piper laughed. "Not so unbeatable anymore, is she?"

"I wouldn't be so smug, McLean." Annabeth pressed her hands into the table and narrowed her eyes, imitating Piper's technique.

"Oh," Piper said softly. She widened her eyes this time—Jason noticed that they were flashing. _Literally_. With each blink, her irises were a different color. "You want to go, Chase?"

Annabeth stared a little while longer.

"No," she murmured, sinking into her seat and crossing her arms. The table erupted into cheers. Even Percy was laughing, and Annabeth was scolding him for not taking her side. (Girls were very weird.)

"So," Annabeth said, sighing heavily. "No Paris, then?"

"Oh, no, I'm perfectly fine with Paris."

"Wh—what?" Annabeth spluttered. "Then ... what was that—"

Piper stood up, straightening her t-shirt and tapping Annabeth on the nose. "Nice beating you, sweetie."

* * *

><p>Another meeting. This was getting worse than student council.<p>

(Although, after the winter dance, they didn't have anything to really do. And Reyna had certainly relaxed.)

They were all at Annabeth's house this time. Jason was pretty sure that everyone in the group had been to Annabeth's house before—it was generally their hangout, if they didn't feel like going to a coffee shop or something.

So everyone was pretty comfortable. Mr. and Mrs. Chase had happily welcomed the group into their home and provided them with an excessive amount of snacks. Percy, who was probably the _most _comfortable at this point, was sprawled out onto the couch, directly spraying Easy Cheese into his mouth. Hazel and Frank were playing with Matthew and Bobby. (Hazel seemed to absolutely adore them.) Leo was sat on the recliner, leaning forward, despite the fact that it was a _recliner. _Piper was on the floor, leaning against his legs. Reyna was squished in between Annabeth and Jason.

"You know," Percy began, swallowing his cheese. He popped a cracker into his mouth. "I'm starting to think that you're only doing this because you want to beat Piper in a staring contest."

Piper choked on her carrot stick. (Jason recently found out that she was vegetarian.)

"That's a false accusation." Annabeth took a few papers out of the binder before looking up at her boyfriend, sending him a harsh glare. "_Don't _make false accusations."

Percy held up his hands.

"We still have over a month of school left," Jason said. He stared at the calendar pinned up next to the grandfather clock. "Why are we planning so early?"

Annabeth replied, "because."

Jason considered asking her until she gave a legitimate answer. But he decided against it.

"Anyway. I have information of three of Paris' best hotels here. Take a look. Pass the packets around. Don't hog." Annabeth spread three packets of paper onto the coffee table.

Piper grabbed the first one. Her eyes scanned over the front page, and she immediately brightened.

"_J'adore l'hôtel Raphael!_" She exclaimed, looking up at the rest of the group. "_J'ai été il ya une fois ou deux fois, et croyez-moi, c'est merveilleux._"

Everybody stared at her.

She rambled on, returning her attention to the packet and flipping through the pages. "_C'est tout à fait magnifique et vraiment, et très luxueux._"

No one talked.

"_Il serait peut-être trop sophistiqué pour certains d'entre vous, particulièrement Percy, mais je pense que nous pouvons gérer._"

"I heard my name," Percy said, putting down the now empty can of Easy Cheese.

Piper blinked. "Wait. Did I ..."

"You spoke French," Annabeth deadpanned. "You can speak _French_?"

"Uh, yeah." Piper blushed. "Remember? I said I had a bit of a history with France."

"You said you had a _bad _history," Leo pointed out. "I thought that meant that you got run over with a car or something."

Piper frowned. "No, Leo. That never happened."

"Maybe you should change your choice of words."

Piper rolled her eyes and punched her boyfriend in the arm.

"What did you say, though?" Annabeth's gray eyes sparkled. Jason figured that she was pretty fascinated with the French language. She probably wanted Piper to teach her a bit, especially if she wanted to take control of the vacation.

"I just said that I've been to Hotel Raphael a few times. It's really nice, but it might be a bit sophisticated for a few of you. Namely Percy."

"_Hey_!"

"I kind of wanted Le Bristol, but ..." Hazel took the packet from Piper. "This does look pretty nice."

Jason took the packet and flipped through it. Piper wasn't kidding when she said that it was sophisticated—the place looked awfully fancy for Jason's taste.

"Um, no," he said.

Piper looked at him. He expected her to be annoyed, but she seemed moderately amused. "What do you mean?"

"It's just ..." Jason tried to explain with majestic hand gestures. "_Really _fancy."

"Yes," Piper said. Her bright green eyes were smiling. "That's what I said."

"Gah, Pipes. You get what I mean."

"Pipes ...?" Leo muttered, his eyes darting between Jason and Piper.

"I'd much rather that we go to Hotel Lancaster," Jason said, holding up the packet.

Piper stood up and walked over to where Jason was sitting. She squatted down to meet his sitting height. Her eyes started to flash, and Jason groaned.

"Can you just do that at will?" He asked.

Piper just smiled. "Too fancy?" She said, tilting her head. _Blue. Green. Hazel. Brown._

"Er," Jason said. He noticed that everyone was looking at them, but that was out of his peripheral vision. He was almost entirely focused on Piper's eyes. "Yeah. It's too fancy."

"Aw," Piper replied, frowning. "You don't like fancy things?"

She batted her eyelashes.

"They're ..." Jason gulped. "Okay."

"That's too bad. I was really looking forward to going ..."

It took Jason that long to realize that it wasn't only her eyes affecting him. Her voice was unnaturally smooth, far too soothing. Sure, it kind of always _was_, but it seemed more dramatic.

"I give up." Jason leaned back in surrender, and Piper grinned at him.

"And that's how you do it." Leo gave her a high five before pulling her into his embrace. Her voice was back to normal.

Piper McLean was certainly something.

* * *

><p><strong>Hullo guys. :)<strong>

**So, I obviously don't know French. I used a translator site. And _no_, it wasn't Google Translate. Piper's little rant probably isn't right, but it roughly translates to: "****I love Hotel Raphael! I've been there once or twice, and believe me, it's wonderful. It's quite gorgeous, really, and very luxurious. It might be too fancy for some of you, especially Percy, but I think we can manage."**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi guys! :D**

**So, instead of sleeping, I decided to plan out the rest of this story, because I had _no _idea where it was going. I'm pretty proud to say that the entire story is officially planned out ... but it's pretty freaking long. I really regret making this story so slow. I have a question, however, regarding the ending of this story that only you guys can answer, and I'll ask that later, when this story is more popular. (because right now like nobody reads this and i really need a good answer so)**

**let's rooooll**

* * *

><p>Piper was half-sitting on Jason. But he didn't seem to mind. Even Reyna didn't care. (<em>Annabeth <em>seemed to mind, though. She kept sneaking dirty glances at them.)

Piper dramatically fell across Jason's lap, and he threw his hands up in exasperation. "So," she began. "Why am I here, again?"

"Planning," Annabeth explained. Piper raised an eyebrow. She couldn't see very well upside down, but Annabeth was flipping through the gigantic purple binder again. "You're the one with experience. The rest of us are the organized ones."

"Excuse me." Piper sat up again. "I'm organized!"

Reyna promptly grabbed Piper's backpack and dumped out the contents of the main pocket.

"It's ..." Piper awkwardly gestured to the pile of crumbled papers, broken pencils, and overstuffed folders. "It's an organized mess."

Reyna picked up one paper and straightened it out. "_Fuck you_," she read, raising her eyebrows. Jason snorted.

"You can't judge me," Piper said. "Mrs. Dodds is a gigantic _bit_—"

"_Okay_," Annabeth interrupted. "Enough language for today."

Piper leaned back into Annabeth's couch. "It's true."

Annabeth continued as if nothing had happened. "So, we have to meet here every Friday after school. We have a lot of planning to do, especially if France is as amazing as you say it is."

"I never said it was—"

"I don't know about you guys, but personally, there are a ton of things that I want to do. And of course, we still have to figure out all the hotel details, who's staying in what room with which people and whatever."

"Hotel Raphael," Piper whispered, poking Jason.

"So today, let's just start with the basics."

Annabeth reached under her couch and pulled out a gigantic stack of papers.

"Whoa." Reyna blinked. "That's bigger than _my _stuff."

* * *

><p>"Raphael," Piper said, picking at her fingernails.<p>

"_Lancaster_," Jason insisted.

"Nope," Piper replied brightly, beaming at Jason.

Jason groaned. "How does Leo deal with you?"

"Gasp," Piper said dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. "That hurt, Grace."

"You know," Jason replied, chuckling lightly. "You're not actually supposed to say _gasp_."

"Gasp," she repeated. "I didn't know that."

* * *

><p>"All in favor of Hotel Lancaster?" Annabeth asked the rest of the group during lunch. A few hands went up—Jason, naturally, and Percy. Frank looked about ready to raise his hand, too, but kept it down.<p>

"Raphael?"

Piper raised her hand so quickly she almost fell over. Leo gripped onto her arm, laughing.

"Raphael it is, then."

Piper stuck her tongue out at Jason. He just rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>"So, there are eight of us."<p>

"_No_, Jason. We're obviously a group of over 9,000."

Jason glared at Piper. "Not needed, McLean."

A warning alarm started ringing in Piper's head. _Don't say it_, she thought. _Don't say it. Please don't say it_.

"Hold on ..." Jason blinked. "That last name sounds familiar."

Damn. He said it.

"Yeah," Piper blurted. "Common last name."

Jason eyed Piper suspiciously. "Okay ..."

Annabeth and Jason continued to work out the rooming details, with Reyna popping in occasionally.

Piper sighed in relief.

She was kind of confused, really, as to why they hadn't thought of it before. Ever since the whole breakup issue, everyone in the entire school knew her last name. Heck, some people had even used it as a threat. But no one questioned it, so she was still safe.

* * *

><p>"Reyna, you're with Piper."<p>

Piper looped her arm through Reyna's. She laughed.

"Great," she said brightly, grinning at Piper.

"I'm with Hazel," Annabeth said, "and while I have nothing against Hazel, I would much rather be with Percy."

Jason clicked his tongue.

"Naughty," Reyna said, shaking her head.

"We don't want to come home with another passenger," Piper said. Reyna's eyes widened, and Jason burst into laughter.

The rest of the hour was Annabeth attempting to murder Piper.

* * *

><p>"Eiffel Tower is a must," Annabeth said.<p>

"I'll admit that much." Piper was lying on Jason again. At this point, though, he was used to it. Annabeth was slowly getting used to it, too, but she still took her time to glare at them. Piper figured that Annabeth _really _liked her relationship with Leo.

"The Louvre?" Annabeth asked hopefully. Piper, personally, wasn't one for museums. She knew that Leo would probably break something, because he was himself. Percy too, probably. In fact, the only person who would take it seriously would be Annabeth. Even Reyna and Jason were looking a little skeptical.

Piper sighed. "Sure. Let's give it a try."

And in _that _hour, Annabeth was hugging Piper.

* * *

><p>The group met at the front of school.<p>

Percy's van, which could barely fit eight people, was already packed with everyone's bags. They were set to leave directly after school, because their flight left at 5:45. (Or was supposed to, anyway, but after years of experience, Piper knew that planes never followed their schedule.)

Hazel was lightly bouncing on her feet, her golden eyes sparkling. Leo was gripping Piper's hand so tight that she almost lost circulation.

"Don't get too excited," Annabeth warned. "We still have a whole day of school to go through, and we can't leave if one of us has detention."

Everyone looked at Leo. Except for Piper, who had no idea what they were talking about.

"That was _one time_!" Leo complained.

The bell rang, and they split up.

"What happened?" Piper asked, once it was only the two of them.

"Life lesson, Beauty Queen." Leo slung his arm her waist. "It's not a good idea to hack the office microphone so that the morning announcements consist entirely of Taylor Swift's 'I Knew You Were Trouble.' Featuring a goat."

* * *

><p>Piper kept her eyes trained on the clock.<p>

School was definitely the slowest part of her week, and that was coming from the girl who did literally _nothing. _It's not like she had anything to accomplish, anyway. Her life was just ... blah.

Leo had reached across the aisle and taken her hand in his. She held it tightly, anxiously tapping her pencil against her desk. The second hand moved ever so slowly. Mr. Green talked even slower.

_Five. Four. Three. Two. One._

The bell rang.

Miraculously, Leo and Piper managed to be the first people out of the class. Piper practically jumped over desks, pulling Leo along. She completely ignored Mr. Green yelling at her and rushed down the hallway, out to the front entrance.

No one was there yet.

"Well," Piper breathed, leaning on her knees. "That was a waste of energy."

Leo laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Who knew you could run so fast?"

"I'm athletic," Piper said.

Leo raised an eyebrow.

"... okay. I _can _be athletic, when I want to be."

* * *

><p>"<em>THIS GIRL IS ON<em> _FI_-"

Annabeth turned off the radio.

"Man, Annabeth," Leo whined, throwing up his hands. "That was my jam."

"Sweetie," Piper chided. "You can't sing."

"That hurt."

"And you're definitely not a girl, either." Jason wrinkled his nose. Piper held a hand to her mouth and tried to stop herself from laughing.

(Didn't work.)

* * *

><p>"Oh, god." Annabeth flipped through all of her "important documents." Percy rubbed her shoulders. "Okay, so we have to rent a car and then check in ... they use euros, don't they? What's the timezone again? Oh, wonderful. It's three in the morning."<p>

The rest of the group exchanged glances.

"... food?" Piper said.

"Food," Jason agreed.

Piper and Jason wandered around the airport before finding a Starbucks. It's not like she could just _steal _from Starbucks, especially with Jason around. So she whipped out her wallet.

"How much do you have?" She asked Jason.

"I got ..." Jason counted through a few layers of paper bills. "Ah, around fifty."

"Two cents." Piper put her wallet away. "You're paying."

She sat down at an empty table and watched in amusement as Jason struggled to carry an excessive amount of brownies and different drinks that Piper didn't even know existed.

"How about you give me a hand, McLean?" He said dryly, almost dropping a cup.

"Sure." Piper stood up and took one cup from him. She picked up a random straw and popped it into the cup, taking a sip. "Huh. What's this?"

"That, my good friend, is a frappuccino."

Piper nodded in approval and started walking back to their gate.

"Hey!" Jason said. "Aren't you going to help me?"

"Nah."

They were about halfway there before Jason almost got a face full of mushy chocolate and steaming hot coffee and Piper decided it would probably be a better idea to help him.

* * *

><p>Annabeth had downed her mocha in less than a minute.<p>

"Damn," Leo commented, leisurely sipping from his own. His arm lazily sat around Piper's shoulder, and he occasionally picked up a few bites from her brownie. "Slow down, Annie."

Annabeth shook her head. "Nope. No slowing down. Leaves at 5:45. Eight hour flight. Which means we'll be there at, what, one or something?"

"She's even worse than me," Reyna whispered.

Jason looked at Piper.

"How did the chicken cross the road?" He asked.

Piper elbowed him in the stomach.

"Er—_why _did the chicken cross the road?"

"There's no logical answer to that," Annabeth replied.

"Yes, there is."

"So what is it?"

"The chicken didn't want to die. The end."

"That was so lame," Piper said. Jason stuck out his tongue.

"You're lame."

* * *

><p>"Jeez, Grace. You suck at handshakes."<p>

"In my defense, my hand-eye coordination is terrible."

Percy snorted. "You should have seen him play football."

Piper tried again, going even slower. But of course, the mighty Jason Grace managed to mess up. Again.

"How can someone miss that badly?" She demanded.

"It wasn't that drastic!"

"My hand is _nowhere _near my face, Jason!"

* * *

><p>And then Piper was sitting on Jason again.<p>

At that point, Annabeth didn't even care. The two of them had managed to calm her down—she claimed that their bickering was _adorable_, which surprised not only Annabeth herself but the rest of them, too. Because as far as ships went, "Liper" was Annabeth's "OTP." ("Oversized Toilet Paper?" Piper had asked.)

Leo looked about ready to explode, but he said nothing. Piper felt pretty bad, but unfortunately, Jason's lap was quite comfortable. But she was sure that Leo's lap was pretty comfy, too. So it was just the fact that she was too lazy to get up.

The plane started boarding soon. Piper sat next to Jason. She was determined to teach him that handshake.

* * *

><p><strong>so this chappie was obviously a bit of a different style, but i found it really entertaining to write, and plus, it's jasper! :)<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

"Wow. This really is fancy." Annabeth's eyes widened. She'd never given much thought to that sort of architectural style, despite the fact that if she wanted to pursue a career in architecture, she really should have. Hotel Raphael was elegantly gorgeous, and it made Annabeth think that maybe she should delve a little deeper into the fancy style.

"I wasn't kidding," Piper replied, running a hand along one of the couches. "Nice, isn't it?"

"Nice?" Hazel exclaimed. She excitedly waddled around the lobby. "This place is amazing."

Piper grinned at her, leaning toward Frank. "She's a keeper," she whispered, and Annabeth laughed as Frank's entire face reddened.

"So are you."

Piper yelped as Leo came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her cheek. Annabeth bit her lip to keep from cooing.

"You're a sweetheart," Piper said, chuckling lightly. She wriggled around in his grip, turning to face him so that she could place both hands on either side of his face and kiss him.

Annabeth let out the coo.

Jason nudged her, grinning. "Take a picture. It'll look good in your scrapbook." Annabeth widened her eyes, whipping out of her phone and snapping a picture before they could notice. She only realized something as she slipped her phone back into her pocket, eyeing Jason suspiciously.

"How do you know about my Liper scrapbook?"

Jason's cheeks grew puffier as he tried his hardest to restrain his laughter. But he lost it eventually, and everyone else in the lobby looked at him as if he'd just revealed to the world that he was secretly the forbidden lovechild of a cow and a narwhal. Annabeth was slightly embarrassed.

"What's so funny?" She demanded, narrowing her eyes and placing her hands on her hips.

"Nothing, it's just—" Jason paused, wiping a tear away from his eye. "You're so serious about this." He attempted his best impression of Annabeth, which she found relatively offending. "How do you know about my—"

Annabeth rushed forward and pressed her hand against his mouth so forcefully and so suddenly that he almost fell over the reception desk. He ripped her hand away, muttering something incoherent.

"Shhh!" Annabeth hissed. "They don't know!"

"Lucky them," Jason mumbled.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Who told you?"

"Nobody did," he deadpanned. "I snuck into your room while you were sleeping and borrowed it so that I could take pictures of it and send them to Piper."

"Jason!"

"Jeez, I'm kidding. Just because Reyna and I broke up doesn't mean that we're not best friends anymore. She told me."

"I'm going to kill her," Annabeth growled.

"Hmm." Jason clucked his tongue. "She might kill you first."

"We'll see about that." Annabeth looked up at Jason, who was still smirking at her, an amused glint lighting up his bright blue eyes.

"Oh, shut up," she muttered, punching his shoulder. He held up his hands.

Annabeth kept eyeing him, even after he'd gone silent. There were certainly a lot of things she did better than revenge, so Taylor Swift couldn't really help her there. But it was worth a try.

"Jealous?" Annabeth blurted, crossing her arms.

Jason, his hands now shoved into his pockets, turned to her. He raised his eyebrows. "Huh?"

"Jealous?" She repeated.

"Of what?"

Annabeth had two options. She could accuse him of being jealous of the fact that he and Reyna had never been cute enough to get their own scrapbook, or ...

"Of Leo," she said, smirking.

"Why would I be jealous of Leo?"

"Because Leo has Piper."

Jason looked taken aback. "What? You think I like Piper?"

"Please, Jason." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I know you like Piper."

"I don't like Piper!" He protested.

"Scratch that. Everyone knows you like Piper."

"But I don't—grr." He shook his head, grumpily crossing his arms across his chest. "Never mind. I'm going to go find the bathroom."

Annabeth inwardly grinned. That was certainly entertaining—short, yes, but fun while it lasted. But watching him wander around the lobby, she wondered if maybe, there could be the slightest chance that he _did _like Piper.

* * *

><p>"Where is she?" Annabeth demanded, staring down at her watch as she tapped her black flats against the carpeted floor of the lobby. "Our reservation is in five minutes! We're going to be late!"<p>

"No," Reyna said dryly. "We're totally going to make it. We have super speed."

"Don't worry," Hazel assured them, always the optimist. "She'll be down in a few."

Annabeth and Reyna looked at each other. They were probably thinking the same thing—Piper would certainly _not _be down in a few. Reyna took it upon herself to go back to their room and drag her down to the lobby, leaving Annabeth and Hazel alone.

"How's your scrapbook going?" The younger girl asked perkily.

Annabeth threw up her hands. "Does _everyone _know about that?"

"I think so," Hazel whispered, giggling. "Except for Leo and Piper, of course."

"Lovely," Annabeth muttered. "Where are the boys going?"

Hazel had to think on that for a bit. "I'm actually not sure. I don't think Frank told me ... I don't even know if they're going somewhere altogether."

The four of them were heading to Hard Rock Cafe for a girls' night out. They'd run into some trouble, trying to find a good restaurant, but they managed to find a local Hard Rock Cafe. Annabeth and Reyna, both having been raised in San Francisco, had a lot of experience with the restaurant. Piper, too, because she'd apparently been everywhere. Hazel was the only one who hadn't been there before, and she was pretty excited.

In a few minutes, Reyna was pulling Piper out of the elevator by the wrist. She looked confused and even worried, which made Annabeth confused and worried.

"Where were you?" She demanded, grabbing Piper by the shoulders.

"Nowhere." Piper blinked, shaking her head. "I mean, sorry. I was just doing something. Sorry."

Annabeth stared at her. She was staring down at her blank phone screen, as if she were anticipating a call or a text. "What's wrong?" Annabeth asked gently, reaching for Piper's wrist.

"Nothing," Piper said. She looked up, plastering on a fake smile. "Nothing. I'm fine. Let's go."

Annabeth watched her carefully as the four of them loaded into a cab. (Hazel squeezed herself into the middle of Piper and Reyna in the back.) She peeked into the rear-view mirror, taking occasional glances at Piper. Her hands weren't shaking, exactly, but she kept wringing them out. Her eyes, set in a dull brown, were frantic as they darted around her surroundings. After years of being Reyna's friend, Annabeth could tell that she certainly _wasn't _fine. Then again, anyone in their right mind should have been able to tell that she wasn't doing so hot.

Piper put on a brave face when they arrived on the restaurant. She tugged at her ponytail, smiled at everyone, cracked terribly messed up jokes. Just like always. Annabeth took the time to admire what she was wearing—skinny jeans and a red shirt and a leather jacket and black sneakers. She'd dressed up quite nicely, compared to her usual attire, which Annabeth appreciated.

"Girl talk," Reyna said immediately after their orders had been taken. The other three girls raised their eyebrows at each other, and then at Reyna.

"What's girl talk?" Piper asked blankly. Hazel groaned, making Reyna and Annabeth smile. Piper looked offended. "Look, okay, I grew up with my dad's assistant, and I switched schools a lot, and I never really made any friends, and the friends that I _did _make were, uh, not girls."

Annabeth laughed. "It's pretty self-explanatory," she said.

"We just talk about life in general," Reyna explained, and then she paused. "But mostly relationships."

"God, no," Piper said, leaning back in the booth. "I'm out. Girl talk is lame. Bye."

Reyna continued on, through a fit of giggles. "I obviously can't say much relationship-wise ..." She added in a few gestures that made Annabeth snort. "But the rest of you certainly can."

"Okay." Annabeth looked at the two younger girls on either side. "Who goes first?"

"_You_," Reyna said, pointing at her. She wiggled her dark eyebrows. Annabeth shrugged.

"Sure." She twirled the straw in her glass of Coke, creating a dark whirlpool. "He's been a dork, like always. And since graduation is coming up soon, he wants to go on a vacation, just the two of us, right after that last bell rings." She shrugged again, taking a sip. "Personally, I'm pretty excited. We're considering somewhere exotic, like Hawaii or the Caribbean."

Piper whooped, sticking her first in the air. "Percabeth! The power couple!" Reyna gave her a high five.

"Well," Annabeth said, nudging Piper with her elbow. "Once we graduate, guess who's going to be the new power couple?"

"Who?" Piper asked brightly. She didn't understand.

Annabeth leaned closer to Piper. "_Liper_," she said slowly, savoring each syllable. That shut Piper up.

"Oh!" Reyna clapped her hands together, looking expectantly at Piper. "Liper. Talk about Liper!"

Piper bit her lip. She was wringing her hands again. "Um, can't Hazel go first?"

"_Why_?" Annabeth asked immediately, grabbing onto Piper's wrists. She was so surprised that her eyes flashed bright blue, and she almost fell out of the booth. "Did you guys break up? Please tell me you didn't break up. If you broke up, I swear on my life—"

"We didn't break up," Piper reassured her, laughing lightly. "I'm just ... never had a boyfriend before, you know? I'm not really used to this kind of thing."

Reyna blinked. "Hold up. You've _never _had a boyfriend?"

"Never." Piper shook her head. "I promise."

"But ..." Hazel gestured dramatically at Piper's face. "You're so _pretty_."

Piper blushed, but she waved her hand. "Well, all the boys I meet tend to look more at my heritage than my face," she said bitterly. Then she plastered that same fake smile on her face. "But you guys are cool. The best friends I've had in a while. Anyway, back on track. Hazel?"

Annabeth fell into her trance again, studying Piper. She was staring at her napkin just as she'd been staring at her phone—as if she expected something to happen. Right. Like the napkin would start ringing and Piper would pick it up and then she would start crying because whoever the hell her dad was just fell into a kiddie pool of narwhals and all of their horns simultaneously stabbed him. Or something.

_Her dad_.

Piper still hadn't told anyone about her dad. Her last name had been revealed, though—_McLean_. Jason was right in saying that it _did _sound familiar. The name was on the tip of Annabeth's tongue, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She'd look it up later, maybe, but Hazel was in the middle of retelling the tale of her awkward love triangle with Leo and Frank.

"This might be a bit of a touchy subject for you." Hazel poked Piper, who laughed awkwardly. "But I'll admit that he had this weird crush on me in middle school, and Frank was too shy to ask me out."

"So what happened, then?" Piper asked dully, taking a napkin and attempting to fold it into an airplane.

Hazel shrugged. "Frank exploded and Leo got freaked out, so he backed out. And that's it, really. Frank and I are together now, and obviously Leo is with Piper."

"Perfect." Reyna nodded. She looked expectantly at Piper. "Go on. That was a flawless transition into Liper."

Piper let out that same dry, weird laugh. It made Annabeth cringe. "Uh, okay. We're been doing good. He's amazing. And really nice. Also cuddly." She bit her lip. Annabeth was disappointed. "That's, uh ... that's it?"

Reyna looked at Piper, and then at Annabeth. She _just _seemed to notice that something was definitely up with Piper, but decided not to mention it. Their food came then, heaps of burgers and fries and steaks, and they ate in a comfortable silence. The entire _thing _was just kind of disappointing to Annabeth. She'd wanted it to be fun and exciting and full of gossip, but with the life of the party all dark and gloomy, it wasn't really possible.

Their food was gone as quickly as it came, and the four of them were heading out of the door. Piper stopped just as they were about to enter the cab, gingerly stepping back onto the sidewalk.

"Never mind," she said, shaking her head. Reyna and Hazel, already in the car, raised their eyebrows. "You guys go without me. I'll meet you in a bit."

Reyna frowned. "But, Piper—"

"It's fine," Piper reassured, reaching out to close the door. "I just need some me time."

"Wait." Annabeth stood up, shutting the passenger door. "I'm coming with you."

Piper bit her lip again. She'd done that an awful lot lately. "No, it's okay."

"Not for you. I just want to come," Annabeth said dryly. Piper recoiled, her eyes flashing again, and Annabeth immediately felt bad. "Sorry, I meant ... never mind."

"Fine," Piper said, pursing her lips. "You can come."

Reyna and Hazel reluctantly left without them. (The driver didn't seem too reluctant herself, though. She looked pretty happy to leave.) Piper turned on her heel and began to briskly walk down the sidewalk. Annabeth had to jog to catch up to her.

"What's with you?" She asked, slowing down as she matched pace.

"You don't need to know," Piper said softly, crossing her arms and looking down at the concrete below her. "It's personal."

"I'm your _friend_, Piper, you should tell me—"

"I've just been having a bit of a bad day, okay?" Piper's head shot up. Her eyes—an _incredibly _pale blue—almost scared Annabeth. Piper spread her hands. "That's it. Today hasn't been looking so hot. Now leave me alone, please."

Piper ran ahead again. Annabeth was five steps behind her for the rest of the night.


	17. Chapter 17

The first thing Jason registered when he woke up was the fact that he was just about to faceplant in the carpet.

He screamed shrilly, not even _trying _to sound remotely manly as he rapidly flailed his arms in an attempt to save himself. But it didn't work, and he fell onto the floor of the hotel room, blankets and all.

He heard Percy laughing as he struggled to get up, untangling himself from the mess of floral comforters and beige sheets. Percy was standing over him, extending his hand to help him up. Grudgingly, Jason took him, pulling himself up and muttering about dirty carpets.

"Dude, shut up," Percy said, still laughing. "You're going to embarrass me. Man, I should have gotten that on video. That was _priceless_."

Jason glared at him, lazily picking up the blankets on the floor and unceremoniously dumping them back onto the bed. "_You're _the embarrassed one? Yeah, I don't think so." Jason frowned. Since when did he scream like _that_? The last time he remembered sounding even remotely like that was when Thalia threatened him with a stapler. He had a bad experience with staplers.

Percy was about to mock him—Jason could just tell—but before he could even attempt to let out his girliest scream, there was a knock at the door. Both boys looked at each other, and they came to the assumption that it was one of two things. It was either their temporary neighbors from the next room over, complaining, or it was the staff, also complaining. And maybe kicking them out of the hotel.

But instead, Piper and Annabeth stood out in the hallway, looking relatively concerned. Annabeth was dressed in her usual sleeping attire—a licensed set that somehow came from the women section. Jason knew that from years of impromptu sleepovers. But Piper was wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Admittedly, the entire thing made her look even more attractive than she already was. Jason felt his cheeks heating, and he stared down at the _dirty carpet_.

"Hey, what's up?" Percy said casually, leaning forward to kiss Annabeth. She let him, but pulled back just as quickly.

"We heard a scream," she said seriously, crossing her arms.

"Jason," Piper said, with the same air of maturity as Annabeth. "Did you do the freaky with someone?"

Jason's expression must have been just as priceless as the fall, because Percy doubled over in laughter. Annabeth looked scandalized, and Jason could tell that she _really _hadn't been expecting Piper to say that. The said girl lost her serious facade and let out a small giggle that slowly erupted into a loud, boisterous laugh that matched Percy's.

"Why _me_?" Jason whined, pouting as his eyes darted between Piper and Percy. Annabeth looked as if she were about to say anything, but went for a shrug, as if to say _kids these days_.

"Well," Piper said, her laugh slowly dying down with a few breaths. "It obviously wouldn't have been Percy."

Percy obviously didn't understand, and he raised his eyebrows. "Why not?" He asked, as if he _wanted _to be accused of that.

Annabeth's jaw dropped, and she slapped Percy upside the head. "Why do you _think_, you dimwit?"

Percy's mouth formed a small _o_, and he hastily apologized, grabbing Annabeth's hands. She rolled her eyes, obviously trying not to give in to his "baby seal eyes," as Piper called them. But he kissed her then, and she tried her hardest to resist, but eventually she kissed back. When he pulled away, she reminded Jason of a breathless fish.

Piper picked up the closest thing—a hotel pen—and threw it at them. "PDA," she said in a disgusted tone, crinkling her nose.

"Oh, _please_," Annabeth replied, playfully nudging Piper. "Like you wouldn't do the same thing with Jason."

With that, Jason promptly turned around and pretended to examine the sky. (Even if the curtains were closed.)

Piper, however, was seemingly unfazed, with nothing but an arched eyebrow. "Jason, huh?" She teased Annabeth, even if _she _was the one being teased. Jason almost asked the curtains what was up with her. "Whatever happened to Leo? You know, Liper?"

Jason turned around just in time to see Annabeth's face redden, and she shook her head but didn't say anything. Piper grinned victoriously as Annabeth admitted defeat, and then she turned to Jason, tilting her head as she examined him.

"You do kinda look like did _it_, though," she said, shrugging. "You're not wearing a shirt." She poked him in the chest. He felt as if his face was going to light on fire. How could he just _not realize _that he wasn't wearing a shirt?

"PDA," Annabeth said, throwing the pen at her. "You touched his bare chest."

Piper nonchalantly picked up the pen and placed it back on the small table from which she'd picked it up. "Annabeth, sweetie, I'm pretty sure you've touched Percy in much worse places."

Percy and Jason exchanged situations. This time, Percy was red as a cherry and Jason was just laughing at him. Percy's expression told him that it was probably true. But Jason was laughing so hard that even Piper, who was humored by her own sentence, was looking at him weird.

"Damn, Percy," Jason said. "Annabeth's parents are going to _kill _you."

Annabeth crossed her arms again, grunting and blowing her hair out of her face. "Shut up, Grace." He stuck his tongue out at her, and Piper snickered.

"I think we'll be going now," Piper said, grabbing Annabeth by the arm and pulling her down the hallway. "Be down in a few, we're going out for breakfast. Miss Anger Management Issues is going to set up a plan for the day. Oh, and Jason, please put on a shirt."

* * *

><p>"Who actually screamed?" Piper asked, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her cargo jacket. On that particular day, it was snowing. The snow was light, though, a few drops of white here and there, because most of the snow had came overnight. Nonetheless, the morning Paris air was cold and chilly, and Piper only had that jacket and a red scarf. Jason wanted to wrap an arm around her <em>really badly<em>, but decided against it when he realized that Leo, who probably should have been doing it himself, was right behind them, chatting with Reyna and Frank.

He came up with the argument that he would wrap an arm around anybody who looked cold. Annabeth, who'd hugged him millions of times, said that he "radiated warmth." Reyna, too. Heck, he'd even hug Mrs. Dodds if he needed to.

(Well. Maybe not.)

"Well, uh ..." Jason scratched the back of his neck. "That would have been me."

Piper threw her head back and laughed. Her hair was still in that ponytail. "You banged yourself?" She said, wiggling her eyebrows playfully. Jason frowned.

"Why must you assume that I did _that_?" He complained, throwing his hands up. She laughed again. "Besides, is that even possible?"

Piper rolled her eyes, smiling at him. "Relax, Sparky, I was just kidding. Lighten up." He stuck his tongue out again, and she made a face.

"What did you even do?" She asked as they entered the restaurant. It was a cozy cafe just a few blocks away from the hotel.

"I fell off the bed," Jason replied casually, as Annabeth picked out a table for eight and forced the rest of them to sit down. He pulled out a chair and Piper sat down next to him. Her seat was on the edge—Jason nervously looked up at Leo, who seemed disappointed but took the seat directly across from her.

"Aww," Piper teased as she picked up the menu. "Does little Jason need some baby rails?"

"Oh, shut up."

Jason picked up his own menu, pretending to be interested in it. (He already knew what he was getting—he'd looked at the online menu ahead of time, something that Piper had teased him about.) He propped the menu up on the table, peeking at Leo over the top. He looked worried, his eyes flicking between Jason and Piper. Jason almost felt bad for him, but it was his fault for not spending more time with his girlfriend.

Leo decided to include himself in the conversation after they'd gotten their food. He seemed to be trying really hard, and Jason felt really awkward. There shouldn't have been that much tension between the two of them—Leo and Jason were best friends, and there was no reason for Piper—who was dating _Leo _and only _Leo_—to get between them. But it happened, anyway.

"So, Annabeth," Piper said, ending the awkward conversation. Jason was relieved, and it seemed like Leo was, too. "Where are we headed today, captain?"

Annabeth finished chewing on her omelette and took a sip from her coffee. "Well," she began, reaching into her bag and pulling out a small notebook. When they'd initially met at Annabeth's house, they'd only planned out what they were doing, not exactly _when_. Annabeth planned all the details.

"Today, we're set for ..." She flipped through the pages, tapping her fingers against the table. "Ooh, nice. The Eiffel Tower is first on our list."

Piper blanched. "Um ... can we go somewhere else?"

"Why?" Annabeth frowned as she closed the notebook. "What's wrong with the Eiffel Tower?"

"Nothing," Piper said, almost too quickly. "Nothing's wrong with the Eiffel Tower, it's just ... I mean, shouldn't we save the Eiffel Tower for last?"

Annabeth tapped the notebook before placing it back in her bag. "Sorry, Pipes. The plan's set in stone."

Piper looked _really _scared, and Jason didn't really know why. Her eyes darted around the rest of the group, pleading for backup. But she didn't have a legitimate reason as to why she didn't want to go—she hadn't _given _one, anyway—so nobody could really help her.

She stood up and briskly walked out of the cafe, surprising everyone. Silence rang through the table, and it was as if everybody else in the room had shut up, too. Jason pushed his chair back, ready to stand up, but Leo had beat him to it. He sent Jason a look that told him to back off. Jason sat down reluctantly, and Leo ran out of the cafe.

* * *

><p>Piper was pretty happy when she came back into the cafe, hand in hand with a beaming Leo. She was like that for majority of the time afterward, too.<p>

But she avoided everybody.

Except Leo.

She didn't really talk to anyone unless she really needed to. Perky, certainly—she was literally bouncing around, but the only person she'd really start a conversation with was Leo. The only time someone managed to talk to her was when Annabeth asked her if she was pregnant, which pissed her off and made her pay even less attention to the rest of them.

"What?" Annabeth had said, defending her case. "Pregnancy comes with mood swings! I've done my research."

Jason had to admit that he was pretty proud of Leo for growing the balls to talk to her. (Then again, he wouldn't have done anything if Piper hadn't been so _salty _in the first place.) But he also had to admit that a part of him was a little jealous. Sure, it was great that Leo and Piper were talking, and they were happy, but he was kind of hogging her. Or maybe she was just having a really bad obsession with him at that moment. Jason was confused.

But as they got closer and closer to arriving at the Eiffel Tower, he could see her cheerful countenance slowly disappear—nobody else could really tell. (Namely, _Leo_.) But Jason saw it. She was slowly degrading to only moderately perky.

She _was _being awfully moody. Jason was about to agree with Annabeth.

They arrived at the Eiffel Tower soon, and Annabeth and Hazel practically flew out of the cab. Annabeth just wanted to take a look at how it was built, because she was herself, but Hazel just thought it looked cool. Reyna followed. The boys, however, were a different story—they lagged behind. And Piper?

She tried her hardest to convince everyone to let her stay behind.

"Hey," Leo said softly, gently tugging on her hand. "What's up?"

Piper shook her head. "It's fine. You guys should go. I've seen the Eiffel Tower."

"But ..." Leo trailed off. Jason almost facepalmed. He had _just _realized that she wasn't doing too great. What a wonderful boyfriend.

Jason mentally scolded himself. Why was he feeling so protective over Piper all of a sudden? He'd only acted this way around two other girls—one was his girlfriend, and the other was practically his sister. Was he starting to like ...

He shook the thought out of his head. He couldn't just _like _Piper. She'd never look at him that way. They were too platonic, and the way she acted around him ... it just didn't seem like it. And she had that _super _loving boyfriend, didn't she?

Leo was looking at him, but this time, his look was more worried than it was angry.

"Hey, Piper ..." Jason said gingerly, his eyes flicking between Leo and Piper. "Look, just come with us. You'll be fine, okay?" He smiled at her. Her eyes were flashing. "You can talk to us, you know?"

Piper stared at him for a long time. Her eyes really _were _flashing. They changed color, and that was normal. Usually, the transition was slow, like an ombré sort of effect. But this time, they were changing rapidly. With each second, each blink, her eyes were a different color—light blue to dark brown to dark blue to hazel to light green.

Piper sighed eventually. "Fine. But don't push it." She crossed her arms and pushed past Jason, jogging to catch up with the rest of the girls.

Leo was staring at Jason. He shrugged, smiling sheepishly, and turned on his heels to run after the rest of them.

Annabeth was already marveling at the structure, taking multiple pictures with her phone. Percy stood next to her, looking bored out of his mind, an arm lazily slung around her shoulders. Hazel was running around the base excitedly, and Frank followed her around like a lost dog. Reyna was quietly chatting with Piper, and Leo was still staring at Jason. (Which made him pretty uncomfortable.)

There was suddenly a commotion to the right. It was a large crowd of noisy French people, gathering around something or someone with a bunch of papers and pens. Jason stepped forward to peer at the papers, and what he saw surprised him, even if it really shouldn't have.

He exchanged glances with Annabeth, who'd seen the same thing. Some kind of understanding passed between them, and they rushed forward, pushing through the crowd.

Of course Aphrodite was in France. Wasn't she born in France?

"Non-couple!" Aphrodite said brightly, handing a signed autograph to a hyperventilating girl who couldn't have been older than Hazel. "What a surprise to find you two here."

"Aphrodite," Annabeth deadpanned. Aphrodite stared at her expectantly, and she squinted. "Er, I don't have a, uh, picture for you to sign."

Aphrodite laughed, waving her hand. "Oh, don't worry!" She pulled a picture of herself out of her coat. Jason raised his eyebrows. She quickly scribbled her signature and handed it to Annabeth. "There we are, dear!"

"Um, I didn't want—"

"Of course you did." Aphrodite accepted a few signatures. "Now, you two should go run along on and do all of your non-couple things. The crowd is only going to grow, because I'm touring with someone at the moment ..." Her smile faltered. "Tristan McLean."

Annabeth gasped from next to him. Maybe she was having her own pregnancy mood swings.

"Wonderful," Annabeth said, grabbing Jason's wrist and jerking him back so suddenly that he almost fell over. "See you next time, miss!"

"Bye, non-couple!" Aphrodite waved happily at them, regaining her happy expression. (Just like Piper.)

"What's up?" Jason asked Annabeth, once they were out of earshot.

"_McLean_," she hissed, tugging him along. "Piper never talks about her dad. She refused to tell us her last name. We know what it is now. It's McLean. _Tristan McLean_."

Jason's eyes widened.

Annabeth approached Piper, who was still talking to Reyna. "Hey, Piper. Um, who's your dad?"

Piper blinked, surprised by the question. But her expression hardened, and she narrowed her eyes. "He's a person. Who never talks to me. And I never talk to him. Why do you want to know? It's none of your business."

"Just wondering," Annabeth said, unfazed by Piper's harshness. She looked at Jason again, but her expression was weird. Unreadable, almost, but she looked a little scared. "I, uh, thought you should know that Aphrodite and Tristan McLean are over there."

Piper looked so frightened for a few seconds that Jason almost wanted to comfort her. But she laughed nervously, waving her hand. "Never mind them. I think we should go now, I think there's a free attraction a few blocks down ..."

She darted off. Annabeth and Jason exchanged glances again.

* * *

><p><strong>secret reveaaaled :3<strong>

**kind of, anyway. you'll get more info on it next chapter, which is piper's pov! xD**

**speaking of which, you might be kind of surprised about the update. like, _jana why the flubbin fuppin flip flops are you updating on a tuesday_**

**WELL GOOD NEWS GUYS**

**for me, anyway :D i'm leaving for new york on friday, and i'm staying there for a week! (new york is my favorite place in the world, btw, aside from like disneyland because it's disneyland who doesn't love disneyland)**

**so, i probably won't find the time to update next wednesday, since i'll be waddling around in the rain on the other side of the country (lovely)**

**which means, you guys get another update THURSDAY! that's right guys, in two days! :)) and, if i'm not super busy over the rest of the summer (which i probably won't be), then i might change my schedule to every tuesday and thursday! yayy!**

**and, i'm also working on a new jasper oneshot called _pink_! expect that in, uh, a couple of weeks? maybe sooner, because SCHOOL IS OUT THIS WEEEEK (but then i'll be in new york so uh)**


	18. Chapter 18

**I'd just like to formally apologize for the last chapter.**

**I was being really insensitive and inconsiderate, and I used the r*** word like it was your everyday greeting.**

**I'm going to try to be a lot more careful in the future, but I can't guarantee that I won't make mistakes like this again. I've still got a lot to learn.**

**So, I'm in the process of changing that chapter. Problem is, I don't really know _how _to change it without completely rewriting that entire scene. I'd like to get some help from a few certain people ... meaning, you guys! Any ideas?**

* * *

><p>Piper had been having a pretty bad week.<p>

She'd tried her hardest to be upbeat, but it wasn't working out too well. Nobody seemed to notice, except for, well, Jason. And Leo, too, but it took him a lot longer to figure it out than she would have hoped.

Maybe it was just the wrong time to go to Paris. Seriously—both Aphrodite and Tristan? _Together_? Piper couldn't imagine why'd they agreed to that, aside from popularity. But they did it anyway, and they just happened to be in Paris. Lovely.

Piper wondered if the news had sparked some gossip. Everyone knew about the old one-night-stand between them, and how it resulted in the birth of a poor child. But what they didn't know was that the poor child went by the name of Piper McLean.

What pissed her off the most was the fact that her father never even had the decency to tell her. Piper knew that he wasn't shooting a movie, and that he wasn't going to be home for a while, but she never would have guessed that he was touring with _Aphrodite_, of all people. Her_ mother_.

The fact that Aphrodite was touring—Piper knew that already. She'd found that part out when they'd first arrived, which made her pretty frustrated, and the fact that she was frustrated made her pretty quiet. She kept her phone with her at all times, just in case she got anymore news. (She'd gotten so desperate that she'd looked at other things, too, for news ... like napkins.)

But the fact that she was touring with _Tristan McLean_ was pretty new, which explained why Piper had never heard of it on the Internet. She'd done some research once they'd gotten back to the hotel, and Paris was their first stop. They would tour the rest of Europe, and then go to America, stopping in New York first.

Which meant that, eventually, Piper would run into them again. Just her luck.

Their vacation was now coming to an end, and honestly, Piper wasn't sure if she was happy or sad. Paris had been great, like usual, but what _happened_ in Paris ... not so much. It was bittersweet, she decided.

It was their last day, and most of them wanted to do something special. Percy and Annabeth were going out for a romantic day in the city, and Reyna had tagged along with Frank and Hazel, both of which were still too shy to be around each other alone for a long period of time. They were just planning on exploring and taking pictures and trying a bunch of foreign food.

So Piper grabbed Jason and Leo and forced them to go shopping with her.

"Isn't shopping in Paris, like, really expensive?" Jason asked awkwardly, as Piper pulled him along by the wrist.

"I didn't even know you _liked_ shopping," Leo added. (He was also being dragged.) Jason nodded—Piper was surprised to see them agreeing on something. Lately, she'd sensed a lot of tension between them, but she had yet to find out why.

Piper yanked on their wrists, causing both of them to yelp. She pulled them into the first store she found without even bothering to figure out what it was called. "First off, I'm rich," she said, pausing in front of a clothing rack and letting go of them. "Second, I'm rich. I don't like shopping, but if it involves using my dad's money, I'm all for it." She grabbed a plaid shirt and whipped around to ask for approval, just in time to see the look on Jason's face—understanding, or something like that, as if he'd just found the answer to a difficult math question.. It disappeared just as quickly as it came, though, and she shook it off.

"How is it?" She asked, holding it up.

Leo grinned, sending her a thumbs up. "Great."

"I like it," Jason said. He was smiling too, but his smile was different—gentler, softer, maybe even more genuine. And for the first time, Piper really acknowledged just how different these two boys were.

Piper had never had a bunch of friends. She wasn't the type of girl to start a conversation, nor was she the type of girl who was what one might call approachable. But at Goode, she was embraced with open arms (majority of the time, anyway), and her group of friends had to be one of the weirdest. They were all so different, yet they got along so well. (She'd also developed a bit herself, and she was talking more. Maybe talking too much.)

Piper led the boys through a maze of different stores, ranging from prom dresses to grunge looks to stuffed llamas. She'd forced the boys to hold all of her stuff, which she almost immediately regretted, but they seemed fine with it. Leo, especially—he was more than happy to carry everything, but he seemed to be straining under of all the weight. Piper almost laughed—he was so small, so scrawny. Jason, on the other hand, was having no trouble whatsoever.

There was no point in lying and saying that she hadn't thought—at _least_ once—of stealing something the entire trip. But with Jason and Leo right behind her, it was kind of hard. (Admittedly, she did manage to sneak in a rollerball perfume and a golden pen.)

The three of them went out to get some food after they were done shopping, but Jason, who was almost covered in Piper's random crap, pointed out that they should probably drop everything off first.

"I guess it's kinda out of our way, but ..." Jason adjusted the bags. "I think it's a good idea."

Yeah. Piper felt pretty bad.

"I'll do it!" Leo said, jumping and almost falling over with the weight of the bags. "I volunteer as tribute!"

Piper laughed. "Really?"

"Gladly." He nodded, way too quickly. "I'll be back in a bit. But if you guys leave, then I'm dead."

"Go for it," Piper said, smiling at him. He grinned again—_that same grin_—and with the help of Piper and Jason, he managed to load everything into a cab. He kissed Piper goodbye, and the car drove off.

"So ..." Jason began, clearing his throat. "How nice is that lamp?" He cringed.

Piper laughed, gently punching his shoulder. "You don't have to be awkward around me. We're best buds, right?" She looped his arm through his, and he chuckled.

"Sure."

"Oh!" Piper blurted suddenly, scaring Jason out of his wits. She hastily apologized. "There's this really good frozen yogurt place just a few blocks down."

Jason's face brightened, but he immediately frowned. "Wait, but Leo said —"

"Yeah, yeah, he'll find us eventually. And if he gets lost, then ... " She held up her phone. Jason looked surprised, and even Piper was pretty surprised herself. Picking Jason over Leo? Her friend over her boyfriend? Not normal.

But she did it anyway, once again dragging him to a quaint little frozen yogurt place, just a few blocks down, as she'd promised.

Jason went a little crazy, full with strawberry flavored yogurt and a heap of four different toppings. But to say that Piper didn't go crazy, too, would be a lie, because hers weighed even more than Jason's.

They sat down at a table outside, because the weather had decided to be nice and not snow. It was still cold, though, and maybe frozen yogurt wasn't the best thing to go for, but the flavor was worth it.

"This actually is pretty good," Jason admitted, stabbing his spoon into his bowl.

"I wasn't kidding," Piper replied, taking a bite of her own. She looked at Jason. "Can I try some?"

Jason looked at her as if she were insane. "Try some? Some of, like, mine?"

Piper nodded slowly, giggling. He was so clueless—it was actually kind of cute.

Jason stared at her for a while longer, but eventually, he gave in, reaching out for her spoon. She whooped in victory and gave it to him.

He took a scoop out of his own and held it out. She raised her hand to take it, but froze.

Jason snorted. "What do you want me to do, feed it to you?"

Piper stared at him expectantly.

Jason rolled his eyes. He leaned forward, and Piper opened her mouth.

"Here comes the airplane," Jason said dryly.

Piper choked.

"What's up with you?" Jason said, trying his hardest not to laugh. He passed her a napkin, and she pressed it to her mouth.

"Don't say that!" Piper scolded.

"Don't say what?" Jason raised his eyebrows. His smile was different this time—joking, lighthearted, mischievous. (And, well, she found it kind of hot.) "'Here comes the airplane?'"

"Yes!" Piper exclaimed. "You ruined a perfectly good spoon of frozen yogurt!" She leaned over the table, dipping her spoon in his frozen yogurt. He groaned, and just to spite him, she ate it right in front of him.

"Hey, uh ... I thought you guys were going to wait for me."

Both Piper and Jason froze. They turned their heads to the right, where Leo was standing. Piper almost cried, looking at his expression—it looked so heartbroken, so sad.

Piper considered asking him how long he'd been standing there. But that would have made things worse.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Piper?"<p>

Piper looked up from her passport, turning around. Leo stood behind her. He seemed awfully jittery—he was switching his balance from foot to foot, twiddling his fingers together. Subconsciously, Piper reached up and tightened her ponytail. (She'd done a ponytail almost every day of the trip.)

"What's up?" She said, smiling at him. She closed her passport and stuck it in her back pocket.

"I was, uh ..." Leo scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, and while he was quiet, Piper took the time to examine him. He was wearing pretty much the same thing he wore majority of the time—a white shirt, cargo pants, and his famous suspenders. Piper smiled. She thought it was cute. "Things have been a little awkward between us, right?"

Piper nodded. _Like now_, she thought.

"And, well, I don't think we _need _to be this awkward. I mean, like, well—" He spluttered. Piper covered her mouth to keep from laughing, and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of little knick knacks to preoccupy him. "We never were this awkward, right? And now we _are_, obviously, and, well ..."

He paused.

"I think, that, uh ..."

Piper motioned for him to continue.

"Maybe we should, you know—"

A light bulb flashed in Piper's head. "Break up," she said softly, her hands falling limp at her sides. Leo's eyes widened in surprise, as if he hadn't been expecting her to know what he meant, but he just nodded. He stuck his stuff back in his pockets, spreading his hands.

"Bingo," he said with a small smile. Piper chuckled lightly. "It's not that I don't like you—damn, that sounded really cheesy—but you know, maybe we're better as a friendship kind of relationship." His face brightened. "Not a romance, but a _bromance_!"

Piper laughed. She lunged forward and engulfed him a large hug, rocking back and forth. "I. Will. Miss. Being. Your. Girlfriend." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Why do I have the feeling that you just quoted something?" Leo asked. Piper could feel his breath on her ear.

"Because I did." Piper pulled back, grinning at him. "Kind of, anyway."

"Do I at least get to know what you quoted?"

"Nope," Piper said brightly, tapping his nose.

Leo rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. Be that way."

Piper winked at him.

"So that's it, then?" Leo asked. "You're okay with that? Bromance?"

"I am _perfectly _fine with being your big sister." Piper nudged him in the ribs. He frowned.

"Why can't _I _be the older one?" He asked.

"Gee, Leo, I dunno. Maybe it's the fact that I'm actually older than you?" Piper slapped him upside the head. "Besides, if I were the younger one, I'd be the most annoying little sibling ever. I'd tackle you and nag you and laugh at your misery. Would you want that?"

Leo raised his hands. "Nope. You're the older one. I'm cool with that."

"Good boy," Piper said, patting his head. Leo laughed and walked away.

Piper had to admit that she _did _miss being Leo's girlfriend, but it also felt kind of good to just be his best friend, his older sister. It was true that they'd really liked each other at first, but it was also true that the affection died down. Piper was cool with being single.

Jason walked up to her then, with wide eyes that made him look like a deer in headlights. (It was hilarious.) "Did you just—" Jason paused, trying to explain with a flurry of hand motions. He pointed at Leo, who was joking around with Hazel and Reyna. "Did you just break up with Leo?"

Piper dramatically placed a hand on her heart, putting the other on his shoulder. "I did, Sparky. I did. I'm heartbroken."

"Shut up," Jason whined, his cheeks flushing. "Seriously. Did you?"

"Yep," Piper said perkily, popping the _p_. "It's all good, though. We're in a _bromance_. He's my little brother." She grinned widely at him, and he blinked. "Jeez, Sparky, you're dense. We're still friends."

Jason stared at her suspiciously. Piper was about to explain again, but he spoke before she could do so. "You do realize that Annabeth's going to kill you, right? She was _obsessed _with you two."

Piper's eyes widened. Annabeth was certainly more than "obsessed."

"Shit," Piper hissed. "Well. We're dead."

Jason just nodded, but he was smiling at her.

(_That smile_.)

* * *

><p><strong>And there's your early update, guys. :D<strong>

**Yes, I did throw in a Paper Towns reference, in honor of the movie coming out next month! I'll see all of you on the 17th.**


	19. Chapter 19

Annabeth was pretty disappointed.

Liper had gone into Paris as an adorable couple, full of loving and longing. They came _out_ of Paris as whatever the hell a bromance was. All of Annabeth's hard work on her scrapbook had been put to waste. Her OTP had been destroyed by ... well, itself.

But still, a part of her had to admit that it was bound to happen. She'd especially been noticing the undeniable chemistry between Jason and Piper, and, well, maybe Leo wasn't the only guy who Annabeth might ship Piper with.

She was back in her old routine, the one she so dreadfully followed at the beginning of the school yearーwake up at four, homework and packing lunches for Matthew and Bobby, shopping for groceries or clothes or things for student government, and then a meeting at six.

Lovely.

Reyna had started calling meetings again, because the Valentine's Day dance was coming up soon. Goode didn't have the traditional homecoming dance or anything, just the Halloween dance and the Valentine's Day dance and the Sadie Hawkins dance, because Reyna and Annabeth were strong believers in feminism. (Being feminine themselves.)

Oh, right. Prom.

Annabeth had been dreading prom the entire year. And she was well aware of the fact that prom was generally referred to as _the_ dance, the experience that makes four years of hell all worth it. But for Annabeth, it was ... eh.

Sure, the fact that she got to dress up and dance with her friends was pretty cool. Then again, majority of her friends were in lower grades. And she failed to see what was so special about promーwhat made it different from other dances?

Annabeth barged into F-5, dragging along a large paper bag full of Valentine's Day decorations she'd purchased at Party City. She dumped the bag on the table, thus effectively scaring Jason out of his wits. "I promised that I would buy them early this time," she said breathlessly, "because last time I waited until the last minute and we were almost throwing an unnaturally bright baby shower instead of a Halloween dance."

Reyna smiled at her, reaching for the bag and pulling it toward her. "And _I_ promised that I would be less uptight this time. What have you got, Annie?"

"Well," Annabeth said sharply, glaring at Reyna for the nickname. "I have some banners, of course, and tablecloths and paper goods, all those things."

"I guess I'm on helplessly childish food again?" Jason said, grinning at Reyna. She rolled her eyes.

"That was _one_ time," she insisted, pulling things out of the bag. "I was frustrated. Get some heart-shaped sugar cookies."

Jason winked at her. "I'll add smiley faces."

"Sure." Reyna looked at Annabeth. "Decorations are wonderful. Now, contest. What are we doing this time?"

"Best, uh ..." Jason threw up his hands. "Best food. Let's make this a potluck. That makes things easier for me and my lack of heart-shaped cookies."

"You're lame," Reyna said. Jason stuck out his tongue. "Any other ideas?"

"Cutest couple," Gwen blurted brightly. "But I think we're lacking in couples at the moment. _Piper and Leo_," she said under her breath, nudging Reyna and Jason. They flushed.

"Cutest couple works," Reyna said, trying to recompose herself. "Let's do that. Do they get a prize?"

"Yes," Jason said dryly. "They get a plaque that says, 'me and my significant other won cutest couple during a high school dance.'"

"Oh, shut up."

"I think the mere pleasure of being named cutest couple is enough of a prize," Annabeth said, pulling out her laptop. "They don't need a silly plaque."

Reyna tilted her head. "Okay ... but aren't all couples cute?"

"No," Annabeth replied casually.

"Can I have an example of a couple that isn't cute?" Reyna said.

"Sure." Annabeth paused. "Do they have to be a real couple?"

"As of right now?" Reyna shook her head. "No."

"Thalia and Jason," Annabeth said, gesturing toward the blonde boy sitting next to Reyna.

Jason crinkled his nose in disgust. "That's incest!" He complained. Annabeth spread her hands, leaning back in her chair.

"Exactly." She pointed at Reyna. "That's sure as hell not cute."

"Okay, you got me." Reyna laughed. "So, that's it? We're good for the contest?"

Jason looked around the room, holding up two thumbs up. Everybody replied with the same gesture, and he smiled at Reyna. "All good, Rey-Rey," he said.

"Don't call me that."

Jason raised his hands, sending a sideways grin at his ex-girlfriend. "Afraid I can't guarantee that, Rey-Rey."

"You're impossible."

"Love you too." Jason grabbed Reyna's head and planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek, making her face contort into a purely disgusted expression. Jason pulled away, smiling triumphantly, and Annabeth met his eyes. They were playful, which assured her that Jason no longer had feelings for Reyna.

She was surprised at the fact that she was happy about that, because she'd always loved Jason and Reyna as a couple.

Yes, it was _certainly_ true that Jason might look good with someone else.

A certain tan-skinned, brown-haired junior who just recently broke up with Leo Valdez.

* * *

><p>"Annabeth!"<p>

Annabeth whipped around, pausing before crossing the road. She was going on her weekly Starbucks run, which she did after the end of school on every Monday. Reyna was running after her, tightly gripping the strap of her black backpack. Her dark hair had been pulled back into a simple ponytail, which was pretty rare.

"Rey-Rey!" Annabeth said brightly, turning and holding out her arms. Reyna ignored her hug and slowed to a stop next to her, sending her a glare.

"Stupid blondes," she muttered, brushing at the wispy hairs framing her face. Annabeth took offense to that, frowning, and Reyna smiled triumphantly. The stoplight turned red, and the two of them crossed.

"That's a rude stereotype," Annabeth simply, crossing her arms over her chest and sticking out her chin.

Reyna rolled her eyes, lazily draping an arm around her shoulder. "Don't be so sensitive, Annie," she drawled. "I'm just playing."

Annabeth mocked her, sticking out her tongue. They made it to the other side of the road and walked down a few blocks to their local Starbucks.

Annabeth loved Starbucks. It sounded awfully cliche, but she really did. She had to cut down her trips to the place to one time a week, because Percy had insisted that she'd been getting a little obsessive. (She was obsessed with a lot of things, apparently.) So she chose Monday, the most stressful day of the week, and things had been going smoothly since then.

"Senior year is a bitch," Annabeth said casually, as the two girls walked into the doors of Starbucks. Reyna raised her eyebrows, stepping into line.

"I'm pretty sure that junior year is the worst," Reyna insisted. "College applications. All those tests. Everything."

"Well, yeah. But this year, I've been a little stupider than usual."

Reyna smiled. "So, _your_ senior year is a bitch. Everybody else's is fine."

"Sure." Annabeth spread her hands. "I mean, just think about last year. Did I have a scrapbook for a couple that didn't even include myself? Was I in a sexual relationship with Starbucks?"

"I don't know. Were you?" Reyna shook her head, wagging her finger. "Cheating on Percy with coffee. He didn't deserve that."

"Blah," Annabeth said, running a hand through her hair. "This year has changed me."

"Or maybe a person changed you," Reyna said. Annabeth stared at her. "Like, this year was different than all the other years. Who was the new student this year?"

"Piー" Annabeth paused. "Piper."

"And what did she do?" Reyna said, pushing her on. "She was part of Liper, wasn't she? And Liper was a big part of your life. And maybe that made you stressed out, which forced you to form a sexual relationship with Starbucks, and thenー"

"Talking about me, are we?" The two girls turned around. Piper was leaning on the counter, complete with a barista apron and hat. Her head was tilted, her ponytail falling over one side. She smiled. "Naughty. Who taught you two to gossip?"

"Oh, shut up," Reyna said. "You work here?"

Piper nodded. "Just started. My dad's assistant told me to get a life, and what better way to get a life than to work at a Starbucks?" She said dryly, but she laughed, moving back toward the cash register. She placed her thumb on the screen, drumming her fingers along the side. "What can I get for you two lovely ladies?"

"I just want a brownie," Reyna deadpanned. Piper raised an eyebrow.

"Not a coffee lover?" She said, tapping at the screen.

Reyna shrugged. "Just not in the mood."

"Ah." Piper nodded, turning to Annabeth and smiling at her. "And what about you, Miss Chase?"

"Caramel ribbon crunch, if you will," she replied, reaching into her backpack for her wallet.

"I most certainly will." Piper held out her hand, asking for Annabeth's credit card.

She gave it to her. "So, Piper. Have you met anyone?"

"You know," Piper began, swiping the card and giving it back to her. "That is the exact same thing you said to me on, what, the third day of school?"

Annabeth nodded. "But have you?"

"No," Piper said, rolling her eyes. "I just broke up with Leo. I'm not just going to kiss the next guy I come across." She pulled on the receipt and gave it to Annabeth, leaning across the counter again. "But, I do hear that Leo's got a new girl."

Annabeth's eyebrows skyrocketed. "Seriously?" She asked. Piper nodded. "What's her name? Never mind that, he told you?"

"Her name is Calypso," Piper said, laughing. She pulled back and rested a hand on the counter. "Callie, for short. And Leo and I are really close friends now. He's like my little brother."

"Huh."

"What if," Reyna blurted loudly. Annabeth jumped, and Reyna hastily apologized. "What if the next guy you come across is blonde?"

Piper shrugged. "Depends. I have to like him."

"He also has blue eyes," Reyna said. A lightbulb flashed in Annabeth's head.

"And a small little scar above his lip," Annabeth added. Reyna looked at her, nodding in approval. "From eating a stapler when he was two. Or trying to, anyway."

"Jason?" Piper said with wide eyes. She shook her head. "God, no, I don't like Jason!"

"You're blushing," Annabeth said. She smirked at Piper's flustered expression.

"No, I'm not!" Piper insisted, knitting her eyebrows.

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not!" Piper's cheeks were a bright redーwhether out of frustration or the fact that she really did like Jason, Annabeth wasn't sure. (But she realized that she hoped for the latter.)

"Seriously, Piper, your cheeks are really red," Reyna said, laughing. "I should take a picture. You look like a tomato."

"Next in line, please!" Piper said a little too loudly, turning to face the line.

"You're in denial," Annabeth sang gleefully.

"Go get your fucking coffee," Piper said under her breath, smiling at the next customer.

"My coffee has not been made yet. But you know what has been made? Your wall of _denial_."

"Welcome to Starbucks! What can I get you guys today?" Piper said brightly to the next customer, reaching her other hand around the cash register and sticking up her middle finger.

Reyna and Annabeth strolled away, laughing. As far as Annabeth remembered, Piper had never been that easy to annoy ... which meant that it must have been true.

"She definitely likes Jason," Reyna said, sitting down at the closest table. "I mean, honestly. Just look at her. She's really red."

Annabeth laughed again. "You're okay with this?" She said, looking at the smiling girl across from her. "Her, liking your ex-boyfriend?"

Reyna waved her hand. "I'm fine with it. Jason and I are just friends now, and besides, I'm pretty sure he likes Piper. He talks about her a lot." She narrowed her eyes, giving Annabeth a sly grin. "But are _you_ fine with it?"

"Me?" Annabeth asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, you." Reyna reached across the table and poked her. "I'm pretty sure you liked me and Jason together more than I liked Jason as a boyfriend. Same goes for Leo and Piper. What do you think?"

Annabeth sighed. "Honestly, I kind of like it. Jason and Piper, I mean. They're cute together. I guess Lipー_Leo and Piper_ーwas never really, uh, meant to be?"

"_Liper_ certainly wasn't," Reyna said, smirking.

"I guess my quote unquote admiration for them as a couple started when we were at the airport ..." Annabeth rested her chin in her hand, drumming her fingers. "But maybe it started before. With the shampoo, when he hugged her. See, this is what I'm talking about. I sound like a crazy person."

Reyna shrugged. "Percy's weirder," she said. She had a point. "I remember there was one time when Jason was really mad at Piper for somethingーI think she kept dragging Leo along with her or somethingーand so Piper asked to apologize while we were eating lunch, and then they went outside, and after a few minutes, I went to check on them and Jason had literally picked her up and started spinning her around." Annabeth let that image form in her mind. It made her happy. "I was pretty pissed off, but honestly, a little part of me was admiring how adorable they looked together."

"I guess they _are_ cute," Annabeth said. "They're just in denial," she said, smiling. Reyna laughed.

"So, what now?" Reyna said, turning and looking out the window. "What do we do, go on a mission to set them up?"

Annabeth stared at her.

She was still looking out the window. "Like, I dunno." She made air quotations. "_Operation Jasper_?"

Annabeth kept staring. She didn't say a word, and Reyna turned back around. Her face gave the impression that she'd expected Annabeth to have disappeared.

"What?" She asked, knitting her eyebrows. A smile slowly made its away across Annabeth's face, and she craned her neck to look at Piper, who was still serving customers with a bright smile on her face.

"That's not a bad idea."

* * *

><p><strong>SURPRISE SURPRISE :D<strong>

**So, while sitting in a subway everyday and not having any signal, I have successfully managed to write a new chapter for you guys and get it up by Wednesday! Yay! XD**


	20. Chapter 20

Cookies with smiley faces. Where to find cookies with smiley faces?

"What are you doing?" Piper asked. She leaned over her desk, which sat directly behind Jason, and placed her chin on his shoulder. He smiled despite himself—he enjoyed the feeling, more than he liked to admit.

"Looking for cookies," he replied casually.

"In science class?" She said.

Jason ignored her. "Valentine's Day cookies," he said. "With smiley faces."

"In science class?" She repeated.

"Yes. In science class." Jason narrowed his eyes, staring at his laptop screen and scrolling through the website of the local bakery. Nothing Valentine's Day yet. Nothing with smiley faces, either.

Piper reached her arms around his neck, placing her hands on his computer. He blushed, thanking the heavens for the fact that she didn't notice. She started to look through the website, clicking her tongue.

"Just go to Walmart," she said after a minute or two, turning her head to face him.

(Her face was so close to his.)

"They have good cookies there," she said brightly, smiling. "And they're cheap. If you like cheap things."

Jason frowned. "They don't have smiley faces."

"You're cute when you pout." Piper laughed, squeezing his cheek. He blushed again.

"Thanks," he said, squeezing his eyes together and smiling cheekily. Piper laughed again.

"Just buy some cookies and some frosting and put smiley faces on them," she said.

"That's too much work," Jason replied.

"You're lazy."

"When I want to be," Jason said, sending her a playful grin. Piper rolled her eyes.

"All right," Mrs. Dodds barked from the front of the room. The two of them turned their attention to her, as did the rest of the class. "The science fair is coming up in a few weeks. I declare that it's mandatory for all of you. Don't participate, and you get a 0, which will drastically drop your grade."

"See," Piper whispered. "This is why I wrote 'fuck you' on that paper."

Jason bit his lip to keep from laughing.

"Partners are mandatory as well, and I will be choosing them."

The class groaned.

Mrs. Dodds zeroed in on Jason and Piper. "You two," she said sharply, jabbing a finger at them. "Partners. You're cuddling already, anyway."

It was then that Jason had realized that Piper's arms were still resting around his neck, and she pulled back immediately. He turned around to look at her, and her face was bright red. Somebody in the class snickered, and Jason leaned to the side to see who it was.

Lovely. It was Reyna.

He sneered at her, and she just made kissy faces.

He turned his attention back to Piper and gave her a nervous smile.

* * *

><p>"My house tonight?" Jason asked, once they'd gotten out of the classroom. Piper pursed her lips, approaching her locker and starting to work with the lock.<p>

"Can't," she replied, pulling open her locker.

"Why not?" Jason asked, leaning against the wall of lockers. "Secret make out sessions with Leo?"

Piper whipped around to face him, her eyes flashing, and Jason momentarily feared for his life. But then her face softened, and she turned back to her locker. A wave of regret immediately hit Jason.

"Hey, Pipes," he said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Piper shrugged. "Don't be," she deadpanned. "He has a girlfriend now."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "Seriously?" Why didn't Leo tell him?

"That is the exact same reaction Annabeth had," Piper said, laughing lightly. "Her name is Calypso. I think she'll be better for him than I ever was. Or, I hope. I have a good feeling about that girl, though. Even if I've never met her."

"Pipes, don't think that way."

She smiled at him, shaking her head. "It's true. I know she will. I want her to." She shut her locker, pulling her textbooks close to her chest and adjusting her backpack. "Anyway, I have work tonight."

"You work?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow.

Piper sighed heavily, turning on her heel. "Yes, Jason. I do. I do now, anyway. I'm free tomorrow, though. Can I come over then?"

"Yeah," Jason said breathily, jogging to catch up with her. "That works. 4:30 maybe?"

Piper stopped in front of her classroom, turning around to face him. "It's a deal, Sparky," she said with a quirky grin, lifting herself onto her tiptoes and throwing her arms around his neck. "See you later."

She strolled into her next classroom, shutting the door behind her. Jason stood in the middle of the hallway, staring at the classroom door like a dumbfounded idiot.

He actually _was_ a dumbfounded idiot, though. He and Piper were on relatively platonic terms—hugs, maybe, the occasional skin contact. But he certainly hadn't been expecting her to hug him that easily—he kinda felt like that sort of thing was reserved for siblings or ... well, couples.

(Certainly weren't siblings, the two of them.)

"Jason?" Jason winced in shock, whipping around to the sound of the feminine voice. Annabeth stood behind him, cautiously crouched as if she'd been expecting him to lash out at her. An amused smile was playing on her face, and she straightened.

"Hey," Jason said nervously, drawing out the word. He leaned back to rest against the lockers before he realized that they weren't there, and he hastily regained his balance. Annabeth snorted.

"You're being awfully stupid today," she quipped. "Even more so than usual."

Jason didn't even take offense to that statement, awkwardly crossing one leg over the other. "I'm not," he insisted. "I'm just, uh, dizzy."

"Dizzy," Annabeth repeated dryly, the yellow lights of the hallway reflecting on her gray irises. "Sure. Piper's hugs make you dizzy."

"Piper's hugs don't make me—" Jason paused, and he blinked. Annabeth raised her eyebrows, nudging him on, and he groaned. "You saw that?"

"Everyone in this hallway saw it, dipwad."

Jason flushed, scratching the back of his neck. He leaned in closer to Annabeth. "How stupid did I look?" He whispered, making her burst into laughter.

"Not too shabby, Grace," she said with an approving look, poking him. "I'd give you about an 8.4."

"Huh." Jason shrugged, playing along. "Not bad."

Annabeth laughed again, and she began to walk back down the hallway. "By the way, I'm coming over tomorrow."

"Wait," Jason said, frowning. "Piper's coming over tomorrow."

"Well." Annabeth raised her arms in front of her. "The more, the merrier!"

* * *

><p>Piper hugged him again, once she got to his house.<p>

"Hey," she said, wrapping her arms around him. He stiffened at first, but learned to just deal with it. He brought his arms around her waist, burying his face in her hair. She smelled like cinnamon, or something along that line.

"Hey, Pipes," he said with a smile, once they'd pulled back. "So, you ready?"

Before she could answer, there was an unnecessary squeal that sounded an awful like—

"Annabeth?" Piper said, chuckling. She let herself into the house, and Jason shut the door behind her.

Annabeth was in the kitchen, brewing up some coffee. "_Pipes_!" She said brightly, putting unnecessary emphasis on the nickname Jason had given her. He frowned at her, and she stuck out her tongue. "What a surprise to see you here."

Jason threw up his hands. "You knew that she was going to be here!"

Annabeth turned to look at him, placing a finger over her lips. "Shh," she whispered. "No, I didn't."

"So, what are you doing here?" Piper asked, pulling Annabeth in for a hug. (Suddenly, Jason didn't feel so special.)

"Ah, nothing." Annabeth waved her hand. "Just hanging out with my good buddy Thalia."

"Thalia?" Piper asked, looking at Jason. She cocked an eyebrow, and Jason could just see the slightest trace of jealousy. He decided not to let it get to his head—if you blinked, you would have missed it. But he couldn't fight the fact that it made him feel a little special again.

"My sister," Jason explained, sending her an unintentional grin. "She's in college, so you won't see her around at school or anything."

Piper nodded. "Oh, okay." She clapped her hands together. "So, project."

"Oh!" Annabeth exclaimed suddenly, causing Piper to jump backward into the counter. She blushed. "Sorry. You guys have Mrs. Dodds, right?"

"Yes, we do have Mrs. Fuck You this year," Piper deadpanned. Jason turned and started to laugh, holding onto the counter for support. Piper crossed her arms, staring at him with a weird expression, but eventually she gave in, laughing at herself.

"Mandatory science fair?" Annabeth continued.

"Yep," Piper said, calming herself. "Mandatory science fair."

"Need a project?" Annabeth asked, stirring her coffee.

"A project is very much needed," Piper replied, opening Jason's fridge. She stuck her head inside and came out a few seconds later, knitting her eyebrows. "Damn, Grace. Don't you have any good food?"

Jason frowned. "I don't see what's wrong with cheese."

"Chewing gum," Annabeth said.

"I don't have chewing gum in my fridge," Jason replied. "Are you supposed to keep chewing gum in your fridge?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant, idiot." She flicked him in the forehead, making him wince. Piper smiled, and Annabeth casually took a sip of her coffee. "I was talking about the project. Figure out if chewing gum helps you concentrate. It's the same project that Percy and I did in sophomore year."

"And how well did that work out?" Jason asked cocking an eyebrow. Annabeth blanched.

"We got a C," she admitted bashfully. Her eyes grew larger as she shook her head. "But at least we tried."

"It's a smart idea," Piper said, picking up a glob of cheese and examining it. "Where'd you come up with it?"

Annabeth shrugged. "Percy chewed gum a lot. I was being really nosy one day and asked him if that was supposed to help him ... 'or something,' I quote. He gave me a look, but we ended up using it for the project. I think it'll work."

"Worth a try." Piper tossed the cheese back into the fridge and slammed the door. Jason groaned.

"Why'd you have to hurt the cheese?" He complained. "That was some _perfectly _good cheddar. You couldn't have just gently placed it back on the shelf from which you picked it up?"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Relax, Grace. You care about this cheese more than you care about me."

"I—" Jason grew flustered, and he shook his head. "That's not what I _meant_, Piper, I meant that, uh, that cheese cost a lot of money, and it would probably taste pretty good in a grilled cheese sandwich, so I was just—"

"_Jason_," Piper said, placing a hand on his arm. She was laughing at him, and he swallowed, his face growing hotter. "I was kidding. But I'll admit that that was absolutely adorable. And, well, I guess it means a lot, that you'd ..." She coughed awkwardly, stepping back shyly. "That you'd, um, go on a little rant to prove ... yeah."

Jason sent her a sideways grin, and Annabeth broke into a round of applause, nodding her head as if she were a proud parent. She pretended to wipe away a tear.

"That certainly _was _absolutely adorable," she exclaimed, clapping both of them on the back and pushing them toward each other. Piper's face was shoved into Jason's chest, and she let out an involuntary squeal, wriggling her limbs to get away. Admittedly, Jason almost wished that she hadn't—it'd been cute while it lasted.

"What, exactly," Piper began breathlessly, pulling at the brown strands of hair that'd gotten stuck in her mouth, "is it with you and couples?"

Jason flushed again. She'd said _couple_.

"They're cute," Annabeth said, smiling as her eyes flickered between the two of them.

"So, what now?" Piper waved her hands around. She seemed absolutely livid, but, well ... she was still cute. Maybe cuter than usual. She was adorable when she was flustered. Jason had to admit that much. "Are you _shipping _me and Jason?"

"Yes, actually," Annabeth replied casually. "Reyna called it Jasper."

"Oh, lovely!" Piper exclaimed. "Reyna's in on it too."

Annabeth smiled again. "She came up with it, actually."

"You—" Piper began, her eyes flashing as she jabbed a finger at Annabeth. "You little—" At a lack of words, she settled for a frustrated groan instead, throwing up her hands and angrily stalking out of the kitchen.

Jason looked at Annabeth. They started to laugh.

"You don't care?" Annabeth asked, looking through the doorway at Piper, who was slumped on the living room couch. "I mean, Piper seems pretty pissed off, we can tell that much."

Jason shrugged, leaning against the counter. "You've been worse."

"True." Annabeth turned to face him. She had on a crazy smile, and Jason was scared. "You think ..."

Jason braced himself for impact.

"You think that if you tell Piper that you love her, she'll calm down?"

Annabeth was the only one laughing at that point.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright. I've got a lot of free time on my hands now, so I think I'll try for the weekly TuesdayThursday update. _But_, I have soccer camp next week, so I can't guarantee I'll keep up with it then ...**

**ALSO. _101 FOLLOWS. _CAN WE JUST**

***DIES***


	21. Chapter 21

"What kind of gum do you like?" Piper asked. She ran a hand through the messy array of gum packs. "Peppermint or whatever?"

"I don't know." Jason shrugged. Piper stopped her rummaging and looked up at him, arching an eyebrow. He sighed. "Frankly, I don't really care."

"Okay." Piper stepped back and examined all of the different flavors. "I think I'll get all of them."

Jason laughed. Piper stared at him.

He kept laughing until he noticed that she hadn't said anything, and his laughter died down. "Wait," he said. "You were being serious?"

Piper nodded slowly, a small smile playing on her lips. "Yes, Jason. I was being very serious." She picked up the first pack of gum she could see—Orbit, wintergreen—and dropped it into the shopping basket hanging from the crook of her elbow.

"Like, all of them?" Jason asked incredulously.

"Mmhmm," Piper said brightly. She grabbed a handful and dumped them into the basket. They landed at the bottom with a satisfying _thunk_.

"Even the ones that are the same flavor?"

Piper merely shrugged. She slipped a few packs more into the basket. "If they're a different brand, I think it's worth a try." She dropped another wintergreen flavored one into the basket.

Jason eyed the basket warily. "Er, how much is that going to cost?"

"I don't know," Piper replied. Another pack. "Nor do I care."

"Seems kinda expensive."

Piper turned to face him, dropping another pack into the basket. A few more, and it would be filled to the rim. (Either the basket was too small, or she was going way overboard.) "What? Would you rather that I steal them?"

(She wouldn't have minded, personally.)

"No." Jason flushed. He shook his head. "But can you pay for all of that?"

Piper placed a hand on her heart dramatically, straightening. "What, not even offering to help pay? My, Jason, where have your manners gone?"

"Oops." Jason winced. "Sorry."

"I'm kidding, Jason." Piper laughed, turning back to the little box of gum packages Walmart had put on display. It was almost empty, so Piper looked through it one more time, just to make sure that she hadn't missed anything. "I think we're good."

"I'm pretty sure we're more than good."

Piper shrugged. She led him over to the self-checkout line. "Never too careful, right? And plus, maybe different flavors will affect the way you think. You know, I heard this one thing where if you chew a certain flavor of gum while studying, and you chew the same gum while taking the test, it will help you remember things better."

"Oh." Jason snorted. "I'm sure that will work."

"Hey," Piper said, spreading her hands. "It's worth a try."

Jason sighed. "I guess I see your point."

"My point is clearly visible," Piper replied casually. A Walmart employee pointed at an empty register, and she walked over. She gave Jason the basket, holding out her hand expectantly as she tapped at the screen.

"Yeah, yeah." Jason gave Piper a few packs at a time, and she scanned them with ease, dropping them into a bag. "Do you think everything will fit in one bag?"

Piper shrugged. "I think it'll work." Their hands would brush occasionally, and Piper would bite her lip, hiding her face behind her messy hair. Every so often, her eyes would flicker to Jason—his cheeks were always tinted pink. Piper smiled.

"Hey." Piper and Jason both looked up. (Jason was in the middle of giving her another handful, and her hand was stuck on top of his.) A different employee stood there, pointing at the half-filled plastic bag of gum. "Why do you have so much gum?" She had a thick accent—some kind of exotic Asian.

Piper sent her the best smile she could muster, straightening. "It's for a project, ma'am," she said gingerly. The woman stared at the bag, but eventually, she shrugged and walked away to go criticize somebody else's stuff.

Piper looked at Jason. He looked awfully nervous. She sent him a warm smile, and he let out a shaky laugh, shaking his head. He passed her the gum and reached into the basket to get more.

"That was embarrassing."

"A little," Piper said, chuckling. She finished scanning all of the packs and reached for her wallet, but Jason placed a hand on her wrist. Piper looked up—his blue eyes were twinkling.

"I'm paying," he said. "My manners are back."

Piper stared at him. He raised his eyebrows, and she just nodded, not saying a word. He grinned, pulling out his wallet.

He was too beautiful. It wasn't _fair_.

They weren't even paying for dinner or everything. (_A date_, Piper thought. _What would that be like__?_) It was just supplies for a project, but Piper couldn't help but feel especially _special _right in that moment.

Jason took the receipt and smiled at her again, giving her a quick thumbs-up. "We're good." Piper smiled back, and she reached for the bag. Jason insisted that he can carry it, but Piper said no. He'd already paid for all of it.

"Whoo," Piper breathed, pulling the bag to her chest with both of hands. "This is a lot heavier than it was in the basket. Urf."

"Piper, I can do it. I don't want you to strain yourself," Jason said. (Still feeling especially special.)

"Don't worry about it, Sparky." Piper winked at him. He flushed. "I got this."

Except, well, she really _didn't_. She awkwardly wobbled behind Jason, who kept looking back at her in concern. She kept smiling back at him, wordlessly assuring him that she was fine.

"Need help, princess?"

Piper internally groaned, almost dropping the bag. She slowly placed it on top of her feet, and awkwardly turned to find the owner of the voice.

It was a teenage boy, her age—she'd seen him around school at _least _once, she was sure of it. He had dark hair and bright eyes, and a cocky grin with teeth so white it should have come with a warning sign.

"Um, no," she said, sending him a nervous smile. "I'm good."

"Are you sure?" The boy stepped toward her. That grin didn't look like it was going to come off anytime soon. "You seem to having a bit of trouble." His face was so close to hers. His breath was minty.

"I'm sure," she squeaked.

"Back off," someone barked behind her, and in that moment, Piper couldn't be more thankful for Jason Grace. He marched up next to her, looking down at Dylan. The height difference between them was so drastic—Piper almost laughed.

"And why should I?" He challenged.

"Because, _Dylan_," Jason spat. (Dylan. His name was Dylan. Piper knew that.) "You have a girlfriend. And so do I."

Piper widened her eyes.

That was the only reaction she could really get in before Jason grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. She glanced up at him, and he sent her a look. _Just play__ along_. She nervously looked back at Dylan.

"I was just trying to help her," Dylan said innocently. "I'm sure Drew wouldn't mind."

Drew. Huh. Piper had heard that name, too.

Jason tensed, and he looked about ready to jump on Dylan. Piper gave his hand a squeeze, and she could feel him relaxing, slowly but surely. Dylan shot Piper another grin before sauntering away.

Jason immediately took his hand out of Piper's. She frowned, but he wasn't looking. "Sorry," he apologized hastily, wringing his hands. He chuckled nervously. "Overprotective mode, huh? I went a little overboard. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Piper said quietly. She smiled at him, slipping her hand back into his.

* * *

><p>"I think that's a wrap for today."<p>

"I'm pooped," Piper agreed. She was sprawled out on Jason's couch, staring at the cream ceiling while chewing on a couple of Mentos. They'd gone through at least half of the gum, recording their results along the way. "How's the progress, Annie?"

"You guys should be done in a few days," Annabeth replied. She was sitting on the other couch with Thalia, who was chewing on all of the leftover gum. ("If you combine all of these," she'd said, "what do you think it would taste like?")

"How are _you _tired?" Jason demanded playfully, sending Piper a grin as he rubbed his wrist. "I had to write down _everything_. I mean, after a few hours, it starts to hurt."

Piper sat up. She shrugged nonchalantly. "My jaw hurts. Chewing is hard sometimes."

"Hah." Thalia laughed, clapping her hands like a demented seal, and Piper felt strangely accomplished. "I like this girl. Jason, why aren't you dating this girl?"

Jason flushed and muttered something incoherent, turning back to the sheet of paper sitting in front of him. Piper reached across the coffee table and gave Thalia a high five.

"Look, I like Reyna," Thalia began, spitting a piece of gum across the room. It landed in the trashcan, and Piper nodded her head in approval. "But this chick here, she's the full package. She's got the looks _and _the sass."

"Yeah, Jason," Piper teased. "I'm the 'full package.'"

"Shut up," he said quietly, frowning at them. Piper and Thalia laughed, exchanging another high five.

"This here," Thalia said, wrapping an arm around Piper's neck, "is the start of a beautiful friendship. And a beautiful relationship, if you grow some balls."

Jason's entire face turned red, ears and all, and Piper couldn't help but laugh again. He got embarrassed so easily, it was actually kind of entertaining. Piper packed up all of her stuff and stared at Jason.

She decided to be a little bit of a daredevil in that particular moment.

Leaning forward, Piper gently grabbed Jason's arm and placed a kiss on his cheek. He stiffened under her touch, and she smiled. "Grow some balls, Grace," she whispered into his ear, before pulling back and walking toward the door. Thalia was applauding as if the home team had just won the finals, and Annabeth was squealing at a pitch that seemed to be two octaves higher than usual.

Piper shut the door with a satisfied smirk.

* * *

><p>"All right, man. You ready for this?"<p>

Leo snorted. "Beauty Queen, _I'm _not the one who needs to be ready. Callie's special. You sure you can handle her?" He joked, sending Piper a sideways grin.

"_Please_, Repair Boy." Piper made a show of puffing out her chest, pulling on her jacket. "I'm Piper McLean. I can handle anything."

"Let's see about that," Leo said as he pulled into the parking lot of McDonald's. He forced Piper to stay in the car until he got out, walking around the front and opening the door for her. He bowed and held out his hand.

"What a gentleman." Piper took his hand and stepped out of the car, closing the door behind her. She poked Leo. "You know, once I start talking to Calypso, she's going to love me and then you're going to sit there and third wheel."

"Stealing my girlfriend, are you? Didn't know you played for the other team. I thought you had a boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Piper asked with an arched eyebrow.

"You know." Leo wiggled his own eyebrows, giving her a suggestive grin. "A pretty blonde boy with blue eyes and a scar above his lip. He's also about three feet taller than me. And you. Combined."

"You're exaggerating, Leo."

"So it's true," he said, smiling. "Jason's your boyfriend?"

"What?" Piper exclaimed. "No! It's not true."

"It's not like you denied it."

"Oh, shut up."

Leo laughed, lazily slinging an arm around her shoulders. She gave him a look—_what's your girlfriend going to think?_—but he just shook his head. "She won't care," he insisted. "I mean, there's obviously a reason that you're the first one of my friends I'm asking her to meet."

"Aw. I'm touched."

"Don't be," Leo replied dully. Piper frowned at him.

"Also," she said, as he opened the door to the unnaturally large McDonald's, "how come you picked _me _up instead of her? I mean, she's your girlfriend, right? And it only seems fitting that you pick up your girlfriend, not pick up your best friend and then leave your girlfriend to get to this abnormally large restaurant all by herself."

"Yeah, well." Leo grinned at Piper again. "_You _can't drive, and Callie can."

"Don't rub it in."

Leo's face lit up immediately, and he detached himself from Piper, grabbing her wrist instead and pulling her across the room. Piper laughed, and she couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever made Leo that happy when they were together.

Leo slid into a booth, forcing Piper to sit down on the other side. There was a girl next to him—Leo was squishing her against the wall, but she didn't seem to mind. She was laughing, actually.

"Piper," Leo said slowly. He sent a smile at Callie—Piper ultimately assumed that she was Callie, anyway—and looked back at Piper. "This is Callie. Callie, Piper."

Piper sent Callie her best, most genuine smile, twiddling her fingers in a wave. "Hey," she said, and Callie sent back another smile.

"Hi," Callie replied. Piper took a good look at her. She was pretty, definitely, prettier than Piper had ever seen herself, with a peachy complexion and dark, almond-shaped eyes. Her silky caramel hair was braided over one shoulder.

Scratch pretty. She was kind of _gorgeous_.

"Damn, Valdez," was the first thing Piper said after her initial greeting. "You landed a good one."

She could see Callie blushing, but Leo just frowned at her. "What?" He said forcefully. "Do you _not _consider yourself to be a 'good one?'"

"Never mind that," Piper said, waving her hand. "Just get some food."

Leo stood up and slowly backed away from the table, toward the ordering counter. He was eyeing Piper suspiciously, but she just stuck her tongue out at him, and he raised his hands, turning on his heel and walking properly.

Piper turned back to Callie, putting on another smile. "So," she said. "How did you meet Leo?"

"Oh, he crashed his car into my lawn once," Callie replied, smiling sheepishly.

"Wow," Piper said. She nodded her head. "Very romantic."

Callie laughed. "Yes, _very_ romantic. Anyway, his car was pretty messed up, and my car was in the shop, too, so I just grudgingly let him stay at my house for the night. I hated him at first, I'll admit that much, but he's a pretty lovable guy."

"Yeah." Piper gulped. "He is."

Her eyes flickered to Leo, who was still standing in line, his back to them. Piper returned her attention to Callie, leaning over just a tad bit.

"Listen," she said softly. "I messed up with Leo. Big time. I loved him, and he loved me, but then I fucked everything up. I'd just like to say this right now—don't hurt him, okay? Please. I don't want him to go through that again."

Callie nodded slowly. Her eyes were warm and understanding, and the corner of her lips flitted up into a small smile. "I promise."

"Lovely," Piper replied quietly. She beamed at Callie.

Seconds later, Leo came bounding over with heaps of chicken nuggets.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm getting these done so much faster than usual. I <em>could <em>change it to an every-other-day update schedule ... and then I'll be done by the end of summer! Or, like, the middle of July. I don't know. What do you guys think?**


	22. Chapter 22

"Squad shopping spree!" Hazel exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together. "And, everybody, this is a _milestone_, it's our first official squad shopping spree with the beautiful, the wonderful Piper McLean!"

"That's rather alliterative," Annabeth muttered.

Piper mock-bowed. Leo gave both of them high fives.

"And now," Leo said, as the Manhattan Mall came into view. Annabeth could see Piper quickening her pace—she seemed awfully excited. "All we need to have a _complete _squad shopping spree is Callie!"

"Who's Callie?"

Leo drew a blank face. Annabeth and Piper laughed.

"Hazel, dear," Piper said, patting the younger girl on the head. "Callie is Leo's new girlfriend. He loves her very much, and she loves him just as much, no matter how stupid he is."

"Hey!"

Hazel's golden eyes grew wide as saucers. "You have a girlfriend?"

"Yes," Leo deadpanned. "Yes. Yes, I do."

"Why didn't you _tell _me?"

"I did," Leo murmured. And it was true—he had told all of them a few days ago. Before then, it was only him, Reyna, Piper, Jason, and Annabeth that knew. Piper told Annabeth afterward that she'd forced him to do it.

Annabeth had noticed Percy's reaction when Leo mentioned Calypso, Callie, whatever—it had been small, but it was certainly there. Some sort of trace of recognition, at least. She considered asking him later, but from his face, it looked like a bit of a touchy subject.

"All right, everyone!" Annabeth called. She motioned for everyone to come toward her, and they did, creating a circle in the front of the mall. The place was already pretty busy, despite the fact that it'd just opened up that day. "I need a head count, because there's a _lot _of us. And I don't want certain people to be 'left behind.'"

She sent pointed looks to four boys in particular—Leo, the Stoll brothers, and her poor boyfriend, who was looking especially innocent.

"Why me? What did I ever do?" Percy complained. He took a glance at the three other boys. "I mean, _them_, I understand."

None of them looked offended, surprisingly enough. Leo shrugged.

"Percy. When you were thirteen, you locked yourself in Walmart so that you could play their sample video games."

"... that's true."

Annabeth nodded. "Now, everybody shush while I take count."

"Yeah, people," Travis said, pressing his finger to his lips. "Everybody shut up. Annabeth needs her concentration silence."

Katie smacked him on the arm, and he yelped.

Annabeth let them chat quietly as she counted all of them. Fifteen in all, which was certainly a lot more than the seven she was used to. (Her, Percy, Frank, Hazel, Leo, Jason, and Reyna. An interesting bunch, the seven of them.)

"Okay," Annabeth said loudly, drawing everyone's back attention back to her. She pulled out her phone, giving the time a quick check. "Lunch is in roughly three hours, and we're set for the 21 Club. Got it?"

A ripple of agreements broke through the crowd of teenagers. The Stoll brothers saluted her, and she rolled her eyes.

The _fifteen _of them set out toward the mall, walking in a tight bunch that drew some funny looks. Annabeth had to admit that she was used to it, though—when you were dating someone as simultaneously hot and insane as Percy Jackson, those kinds of things were bound to happen.

"I'm going to Victoria's Secret," Katie declared immediately. Piper crinkled her nose.

Travis frowned. "Wait, why?"

"So that _you_," she replied, poking his chest, "can't follow me." She linked her arm with Rachel's, who was grinning at Travis.

"Hey!" Travis whined in protest. "You don't like me?"

"Oh, no." Katie gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I love you. But right _now_, I don't like you."

"That makes no sense!"

Katie smiled sweetly before turning and running off with Rachel. Travis was still standing there, blinking, and Connor was nudging him.

"Dude," Connor whispered. "I kind of want to go to Victoria's Secret."

"Ew!" Piper exclaimed. "Why would you want to go to _that _place?"

Connor shrugged. "It's kinda hot. Don't you think so, Travis?"

"Well, _yeah_," Travis admitted shamefully. He seemed unnaturally flustered, with flushed cheeks and hands that were flying all around the place. "But you're single, and I'm not, and I can't just waltz into Victoria's Secret because I think it's _hot_. That's just _rude_."

"Look at that," Thalia said dryly. "Stoll actually cares about someone."

"Shut up, Thalia," Travis replied, his face progressively growing redder.

"Dude. Don't rub the single part in. You barely landed Katie."

"Whatever."

Connor walked off casually, sticking his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts and whistling something that Annabeth recognized but couldn't put a name on. Travis looked after him wistfully, before groaning and bounding after him.

"Well." Thalia spread her hands. "That's four guys gone. Where are the rest of you headed?"

Percy and Leo grinned at each other.

"_Toys R Us_."

"How mature," Piper drawled. "Buy me an Elmo while you're at it, will you?"

"Oh, _please_, Beauty Queen." Leo gently punched her shoulder. "You know you'd come, too."

She just shrugged, pushing Percy and Leo down the hallway.

"Another two gone."

"I think we'll be going to Toys R Us, too," Hazel said, gripping Frank's arm. "There isn't really anywhere else, anyway."

Frank shrugged. "I'm good with that." They walked off, too, which left seven of them still standing there. (Annabeth felt a little less overwhelmed at that point—she was definitely more used to that size.)

Thalia looked at Nico. "All right, Neeky Neeks—"

"Where—" Nico threw his hands up in exasperation. "Where did that nickname even _come _from?"

"I like it," Will mumbled.

"_Neeky Neeks_," Thalia repeated, just to piss Nico off. She grinned at him. "You're coming with me."

"Why?"

"Because I said so." Thalia pointed at Will. "You too, Sunshine. Let's roll."

Thalia grabbed both of them by the ear and dragged them away. Will looked like he was in moderate pain, but if he really was, he didn't say anything. Nico, however, was complaining loudly. It would have embarrassed Annabeth if she were with them, but the way that Thalia was pulling them along was already pretty embarrassing.

She turned back to the four left. Her, Reyna, Jason, and Piper. "So, I guess we're sticking together?"

"Yeah." Jason smiled at Piper. _Only _Piper, Annabeth had noticed. She snuck a glance at Reyna, who was letting a small smile tug at her lips. She'd seen it, too. "I'm cool with that."

"Are you really?" Piper said with a smirk, crossing her arms. "You're the only boy here. Guess where we want to go?"

Jason blinked as he realized what he'd just gotten himself into, and he groaned. Reyna and Annabeth laughed.

"I think I'm in the mood for some Aeropostale," Reyna said thoughtfully. She raised her eyebrows at Annabeth. "What do you think, Miss Chase?"

"Aeropostale is fine with me," Annabeth replied with a smile. She looked at Piper. "Miss McLean?"

"Perfect," Piper said. "And how about you, Miss Grace?"

"Not cool, Piper. Not cool."

The girls laughed, and Piper easily slipped her hand into Jason's, pulling him along at the front of their little group. Annabeth looked at Reyna, who was grinning like a madman.

"I didn't think they'd hold hands just like that," Reyna whispered. "It's adorable."

"It definitely is," Annabeth replied excitedly. It came to mind that Piper might have done that just so that she could lead him to the right place, but she shook off the thought. "How long do you expect them to stay like that?"

As it turned out, they remained hand in hand for the next thirty minutes or so, and it was only when they were just about to finish up did Jason realize that his hand was still in Piper's, and he gingerly released her hand. He was blushing like a maniac, but Piper didn't seem to notice—in fact, she just used the free hand to her advantage and started to look through the racks a little quicker.

Annabeth was trying her hardest to stifle a laugh. Jason glanced at her and frowned, and Piper walked away to go look through another rack.

"It's not _funny_," Jason mumbled. He dully crossed his arms, kicking at the floor.

"It kinda is, actually," Reyna said, popping up from behind a rack of shorts. "Funny. And really adorable."

"Where did you even _come _from?"

Reyna wiggled her fingers. "Outer space."

Annabeth laughed, and Jason still had on his red-faced frown when they set off to go find Piper. She had somehow managed to get to the other side of the room and was looking through a rack of dresses. There were a bunch of clothes hanging from one hand, and even a few tucked between her arm and her chest.

"I didn't even know that you _liked _shopping," Annabeth said. She pulled out a random dress—gray, flowy. Pretty.

"I don't," Piper said brightly. "But if it means wasting my dad's money, then by all means, I'll do it."

Jason knit his eyebrows. "What, do you hate your dad or something?"

"Oh, yeah." Piper shrugged, pulling out two seemingly random dresses and adding them to her little collection without hesitation. "But I'm pretty sure the feeling's mutual, so no worries whatsoever."

Annabeth looked at Jason. He seemed concerned, but also confused. Annabeth cleared her throat.

"Is your dad, um ..." Annabeth began cautiously. Piper raised her eyebrows, picking out another dress. "Is your dad rich, by any chance?"

Piper laughed. "Definitely."

_Tristan McLean_, Annabeth thought. It had to be him. But she didn't say anything, and Piper insisted that they should pay then, even if she was the only one who'd really bought anything. Aside from Reyna, who'd gotten a necklace, but she'd already paid.

All of Piper's random crap was a whopping total of $449.23. The employee was unfazed—Annabeth assumed that she'd run into these kinds of things often—but Jason was watching with a wide mouth, his eyes traveling between the price and Piper, who was grinning.

"I'm probably just going to donate all of this," Piper said once she'd finished paying. She was dragging along at least five gigantic bags, but she didn't seem frustrated. "I hate dresses."

And sure enough, when they came to one of those clothing donation boxes, she dumped all of the bags into the box and turned back to the other three, smiling and dusting her hands.

Annabeth blinked. "Do you really hate him _that _much?"

"I, um." Piper's face softened. She shook her head, giving Annabeth a soft smile. "I don't know. It's just that I don't really get to see him often, and I don't really know if he, well, cares anymore."

Jason reached out to touch her shoulder, but she shrugged it off.

"It's fine, though," she said, her usual grin returning. She punched the box lightly. "Besides, I'm helping the people, aren't I?"

Jason chuckled lightly. He placed an arm around Piper's shoulders and gave her a small squeeze, leaning down to whisper something in her ear. When he pulled back, she gave him a big smile.

Annabeth and Reyna tried hard to refrain from screaming. So they did it internally.

Jason let go of Piper, but they stayed close together as they walked at the front of their little group. None of them knew where they were going, so they just walked around aimlessly, randomly pointing out things that caught their eye.

"We have to get them to do something again," Reyna said, loud enough for only Annabeth to hear. "This lack of contact is burning my eyes."

"Oh. Easy." Annabeth jogged ahead, to Jason and Piper. "What's up?" She said perkily, nudging Piper.

"Um ..." Piper said with a confused laugh. "Hey, Annabeth."

Annabeth smiled, and she nudged Piper a little harder this time. She was pushed into Jason.

"Whoa. Easy," he said gently, placing his hands on her arms and steadying her. She smiled gratefully at him and turned to Annabeth, raising an eyebrow.

"What was that for?" She asked.

Annabeth just gave her a sickly sweet smile.

And minutes later, she slapped her across the cheek.

Reyna let out a sharp gasp, but Annabeth could see that she was trying her hardest not to laugh. Jason pulled Piper, who was holding her cheek and staring at Annabeth in awe, away from Annabeth.

"What's up with you?" He said.

"Nothing," Annabeth replied with the same smile. She looked around the mall.

Escalator. Perfect opportunity.

"_Hey_!" She blurted loudly, surprising the other three. Jason, who'd leaned in awfully close to Piper and placed a hand on her cheek to "examine" it, looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Why don't we go upstairs?"

"... why?" Reyna asked. Annabeth jerked her head toward the escalator, and Reyna's mouth formed a small 'o.'

"Sure ..." Jason trailed off. Piper gave Annabeth a suspicious look, gently wrapping her small hand around Jason's wrist and taking it away from her face.

They got onto the escalator, and Jason and Piper were talking in hushed tones. Annabeth would glance at them every so often, trying to find the right timing.

"I can't believe you're doing this," Reyna whispered. She looked scared, and Annabeth knew why. She was pretty scared herself.

"Relax," Annabeth replied. Her voice came out shakier than she would have wanted it to. "Jason will catch her. I know he will."

"Annabeth Chase, you are _completely _out of your mind."

As they neared the second floor, Annabeth closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, and in that moment, she almost wished that she'd never even met any of them. Reyna or Jason or Leo or Piper or _anyone_. Her life would have been so much easier. And Piper's life would have been so much safer.

"Sorry," she whispered.

She gave Piper a forceful push, sending her over the edge of the escalator.

Piper screamed, and Annabeth started to scream too, going into complete hyperventilation mode.

She just did that. Why the _hell _did she just do that?

"Oh my _god_!" Annabeth screeched, backing into the other side of the elevator. Reyna grabbed her arm—she was shaking. Everybody was looking at them now, gasping as they saw Piper about to fall back down to the first floor. (Goddamn it, why did the second floor have to be so much higher?)

Jason lunged forward and managed to wrap his arms around Piper just in time. He pulled her back onto her feet, engulfing her in a hug. She was shaking, too, even more so than Reyna—obviously—and Jason looked at Annabeth, his blue eyes flashing.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He demanded. He tightened his grip around Piper. "Are you trying to kill her or something?"

Annabeth didn't respond to him directly. She brought her hand up to her mouth, carefully stepping onto the second floor. "Oh, god. I need a mental hospital. Help me. I'm insane." She grabbed Reyna's arms, shaking her. "_Help me_."

Reyna looked traumatized.

But Piper was laughing. Jason looked utterly surprised when she turned her head away from his chest. Her eyes were red and teary, and Annabeth choked back a sob.

It had been a near-death experience. And she was _laughing_.

"You're one crazy cookie, aren't you?" Piper said with a small smile, and it was then that Annabeth realized that she knew what her plan had been, and why she'd made the crazy decision to _push her off an escalator_. (Because, really, who in their right mind does that?)

And just to prove it even further, Piper snuggled against Jason's chest.

He pressed a kiss into her hair.

* * *

><p><strong>GUYS IDK WHAT I JUST DID. IT JUST KINDA. POOF.<strong>

**THAT WAS LITERALLY SO STUPID AND SO OUT OF CHARACTER I MIGHT GAH.**

**i mean it was still kinda cute with the jasper and all but**

**GAH. WHAT DID I. _GAH_. LITERAL _GAH_.**

**Whelp. Too lazy to change it.**

**I think I'd originally planned for Piper to just fall off a fountain, but why not just show that Annabeth is a complete lunatic? :) She's so OOC in this, it makes me cry. *tear***

**Anyway, now that we've gotten _that _over with ... I'm pretty excited for that one ... it's my favorite part because you'll see ;)**

**(please tell me someone got that reference)**

**And, as you can tell, I did update _today_. I think I'll just start randomly throwing out chapters whenever I have them done. So, uh, next one will come tomorrow because I'm done with it, and we'll see what happens then. No more schedule :) and _yes _i did change the summary again i need to stop**


	23. Chapter 23

"All right, Chase. Let me get this straight. You pushed my ex-girlfriend off an escalator."

"_No_," Annabeth said hastily, her ears turning pink. "I mean, yes, I did, but, heavens forbid, I didn't mean to hurt her! I just wanted to—"

"See how I would react," Jason deadpanned. Piper let out a quiet chuckle from next to him, and for the hundredth time since the incident, Jason was surprised at how much angrier he was than Piper. For someone who'd almost _died _or at least broken a limb or two, she was taking it _very _well.

"Yeah." Annabeth laughed awkwardly, pulling her hair from behind her ear and letting it hide her face. Percy smiled down at her, pulling her into his chest.

Leo frowned. He reached across the table and wrapped his arms around Piper's entire frame, squishing her against him. She was laughing again. "No more hurting Beauty Queen," he said firmly, and then he paused. "Or, uh, trying to hurt Beauty Queen."

Jason didn't allow himself to be jealous. It was irrational. Leo had a girlfriend, and it wasn't like Jason was _dating _Piper or anything ...

"I wasn't trying to hurt her." Annabeth groaned from behind her hair. She pulled apart a few strands, and her gray eyes peeked out. "You wouldn't know what it's like to be as insane of a matchmaker as I am."

"_That_," Piper said, detangling herself from Leo, "would be the apocalypse for all of us."

The rest of them laughed. Piper slung an arm around Annabeth's shoulders, giving her a warm smile.

"I understand your situation, buddy," she said. "I wholeheartedly understand. Because one day, you're going to be standing at that altar, dreamily staring into the face of professional idiot Percy Jackson—"

"_Rude_."

"And it's all going to be because of me," Piper continued, nonchalantly flicking Percy, "and it will be the best freaking Percabeth wedding that anyone will have ever thought of, because it will have gray and blue and a fish tank and a bunch of free books for everybody—"

"Hold on," Annabeth interrupted, letting out a small laugh. Her cheeks were starting to redden. "When did you plan all of this out?"

Piper smiled. "Look, I know it seemed like I didn't really care that you'd tried to kill me, but truth be told, I was a _little _pissed off." She spread her hands. "So, what do I do for revenge? I plan your wedding."

"Percabeth ..." Percy muttered, knitting his eyebrows.

"However," Piper drawled. She wrapped an arm around Jason this time, sending him a big smile. "I knew that _this _guy would catch me, so I wasn't too worried about it." She shrugged. "And look at that. I'm not dead. Nor have I broken any limbs."

She gave both of them a simultaneous squeeze before releasing them. Jason laughed awkwardly, focusing his attention on his untouched burger.

The whole thing had happened last Saturday. It was Monday then, but everything was still fresh in his mind. The panic alarm that went off in his head when Piper screamed, and how quickly he'd reacted, pulling her into his tight embrace.

And the _kiss_.

It wasn't like her kissed her straight on the mouth or anything, but it was the first time that he'd ever really _kissed _her. So, yeah, his lips didn't land on _her_ lips, nor did they land on her cheek, but in her mahogany hair. He'd done it before he could process it, and he expected Piper to recoil. But no, she seemed fine with it. After all, she'd kissed him first, on the cheek.

He was thinking way too hard about this.

* * *

><p>"Almost done," Jason assured Piper, as she chewed on spearmint Ice Cubes. (The gum. She was not chewing ice cubes. That was not part of the project.) "We just have a few more flavors to go."<p>

"My jaw hurts," Piper deadpanned. She threw the gum container at Reyna, who caught it and happily popped one into her mouth. Annabeth and Thalia reached over and took some, too.

"Yeah, yeah." Jason slid a paper over to her—a simple multiplication worksheet, one of those timed ones with one hundred questions that he used to do in third grade. He pulled out his own phone, setting up a stopwatch. "Ready?"

"Let's roll."

Jason pressed _start_, and Piper got to work immediately, leaning closer to the table. Her wooden pencil glided over the paper with ease, and within a minute, she'd dropped the pencil and leisurely stretched out her arms.

"Well?" She asked. She picked up the pencil again, twirling it between her fingers. "How'd I do?"

Jason grinned at her. "New record," he said, giving her a thumbs up.

Piper smiled brightly, and she gently pushed the paper over to Annabeth. She'd been named official grader for the worksheets, the smartest out of all of them, and therefore, they'd "recruited" her to help them.

"On point, Beauty Queen," Annabeth said after a few seconds, nodding her head in approval.

Piper whooped in victory and pumped her fist as she leaned back into the couch, exhaling a long sigh. The sound of the gum smacking against her teeth echoed through the living room. "Can we _please _do the rest of them tomorrow?" She begged, bringing her knees to her chest.

"No," Jason answered casually.

"Why _not_?"

"There are only a few more," Jason insisted. "Like, three or something. I'm sure you can get through it."

"I don't want to get through it."

"_Piper_."

"_Please_?" Piper scooted closer to him, widening her eyes. He blinked—they were a certain type of green, like the color of the sea ...

"Oh, shit, she's doing the baby seal eyes," Thalia whisper-yelled, slapping Annabeth's arm. She winced. "Dude, she's stealing your boyfriend's baby seal eyes! This is an outrage! How does she do that?"

Piper batted her eyelashes at him.

"_Fine_," he announced, throwing up his hands in defeat.

Piper grinned and gathered up all of her stuff, slinging one strap of her backpack onto her shoulder. "That, my friends," she began, standing up, "is how you get out of something. See you tomorrow!"

She gave Jason another quick kiss on the cheek, which caught him by surprise.

"You know," Annabeth called after her. "Not everyone can change their eye color!"

"Too bad for you!" She replied. There was a slam, and Piper had officially left for the day.

"So." Jason stood up himself and began to clean off the table, packing all of the papers into a folder and shoving it into his backpack. He took a swig from his water bottle. "What's up?"

"Food," Thalia said. "I want food. I'm going to go get some food. Any of you guys want food? Popcorn. What about popcorn?" She looked at the other three, and they shrugged. She headed into the kitchen, whistling some Green Day song Jason had been hearing pretty often.

"Let's play a game," Annabeth said suddenly, leaning closer to the table. Jason arched an eyebrow. "Truth or Dare."

Reyna grinned. "Sure. I'm cool with that."

The sound of popping filled the air, and then Thalia's voice. "Don't you losers _dare _start without me!" She shouted from the kitchen.

"Sure!" Annabeth replied with a laugh. Seconds later, Thalia came strolling in with a gigantic bowl of popcorn, setting it down on the coffee table. Jason inhaled the buttery scent and reached for a handful, not-so-gracefully stuffing it into his mouth.

"All right," he said with a full mouth.

"Shut up and eat your food," Thalia said. "You have no manners."

Jason scoffed. "_I _have no manners? You're the one who—"

Annabeth cleared her throat, effectively making _both _of them shut up. She popped a piece into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed before speaking again, sending a pointed look at Jason. "I'll go first," she said.

"Truth or dare?" Reyna asked, leaning back in the recliner with a handful of popcorn.

Annabeth pondered that for a few moments, jokingly tapping her chin. "Truth," she decided.

"What was your initial impression of Percy?" Reyna asked.

Jason pushed his tongue into his cheek, raising his eyebrows. "That was such a lame question, " he said. Reyna stuck her tongue out at him and returned her attention to Annabeth.

"Well, I honestly thought that he was a bit of an idiot," Annabeth admitted with a shrug. "He was definitely pretty hot, though. I guess you could say that I thought he was just a pretty boy, no brains and all brawns and beauty. Didn't really think he was much more until I was partnered up with him."

"Thank you for that, Annabeth," Thalia said, once she'd finished. She held up her phone. "Recorded _all _of that. It's gold. I am _so _showing this to Jackson—ha! Imagine his reaction. I'm recording that, too."

"Thalia!" Annabeth scolded. She went red, but she shook it off, turning to Reyna. "Your turn, Rey. Truth or dare?"

"Hmm." Reyna bit her lip. "I think I'll go with truth."

Jason threw up his hands. "What a surprise," he said dryly. "It's not like you pick truth _every single time_, anyway. Carry on. I'd love to see what happens." Reyna glared at him. It was true that she picked truth all the time, though, and he knew that from experience.

"Okay, Annie," Thalia said before Annabeth could speak, clapping her hands together. "I got this one. What was _your _first impression of Twinkle Toes over here?" She nudged Jason.

"Twinkle Toes?" Jason asked. "That's new."

"Get used to it." Thalia grinned. "I'll be using that one often."

"I thought he was pretty hot," was the first thing Reyna said. Jason could feel the heat rising to his cheeks, and he awkwardly scratched his neck. "I mean, we were only, what, eleven? But still. And then I found that he was _smart_, too, and I was like ..." She made a show of fanning her face. "Whoo. I quote from my eighth grade diary, 'I will make this boy mine.'"

Annabeth was trying hard to stifle her laughter. "Well, that's certainly interesting," she said, snickering. Jason sent her a look.

Reyna shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. "Yeah, well. Here we are today. We're not dating—though we were, and I loved every minute of it—I'm single, and he's denying all of his feelings for Piper McLean. So there's that."

"I do _not _have 'feelings' for Piper!"

Thalia patted him on the back. "Keep believing that, buddy."

Jason frowned.

"Anyway," Thalia continued, "I'll go next. And before you ask, I'm taking dare."

"Oh!" Jason exclaimed. "I got this one. Well, I have two choices. I could either have you call Luke right now and tell him that you're breaking up with him—"

Thalia's eyes widened. "I am not—"

"_And_, you won't tell him that it was a dare until next week."

"No way," Thalia said, shaking her head. Jason smiled—she really liked Luke. "There is no way in _hell _that I'm doing that. Nope. Nada. Zip."

"All righty then." Jason stood up. He grabbed the bowl of popcorn, resulting in whines from the three girls, and marched into the kitchen. He dumped a bit of popcorn into a separate bowl and set the big one aside, reaching into the cabinets. He pulled out a few things—ketchup, relish, and nutella. Plus a few cups of Diet Coke. And _way _too much salt. Also some coffee powder.

He gleefully dumped everything into the bowl and mixed it together, adding a final touch of cold (and helplessly deformed, thanks to Piper) cheddar cheese.

"Eat up," he said, sticking out the bowl. Thalia stared at it with wide eyes, crinkling her nose in disgust. "Hey, you said dare, and if you don't do this, I'm making you call Luke."

"That's cruel," Annabeth said, but she was cradling the untouched bowl to her chest, obviously relieved that he hadn't done anything to it. "You are a cruel child, Jason Grace."

"I know." He sent her a cheery smile.

Thalia gingerly took the bowl from him, still staring it down as if it would result in her death. (It was possible, though.) She reached in, squeezing her eyes shut, and pulled out a piece of popcorn. It was soggy, with traces of ketchup and nutella. Pieces of salt and cheese stuck to it.

She placed it in her mouth and immediately gagged.

Thalia almost dropped the bowl, but she placed it down on the coffee table as simultaneously carefully and quickly as she could and then rushed off to the kitchen; There was the sound of spit against metal, and Jason laughed.

Thalia came back a few seconds later, wiping at her mouth. Jason gestured to the bowl.

"You have to finish the whole thing."

Thalia's bottom lip quivered. "How could you _do _such a thing?"

"Don't act as if you haven't done worse."

Thalia frowned at him and took the bowl back into her hands.

"Okie dokie," Annabeth said. She sent a sideways grin to Reyna, who winked in return. Jason raised his eyebrows. "Jason, it's your turn. Truth or dare, _Twinkle Toes_?" She snickered, and despite her current predicament, Thalia gave her a high five.

"Dare," Jason replied confidently. Annabeth smiled.

"Bad decision, Grace. I dare you to ask out Piper."

* * *

><p>And so, that's how Jason ended up cornering Piper after school, when she was supposed to be getting to work.<p>

"Jason, hurry up," she urged him, running a hand through her hair. "I have to go, my shift starts in—oh, no, come on! It starts in five minutes. What do you want to tell me so badly?"

"Will you go out with me?" He blurted, his hand immediately flying to his mouth.

Piper blinked. "Um, what?"

"It was a dare, okay?" Jason said hastily. His hands were flying around for emphasis. "We were playing truth or dare after you left, and Annabeth dared me to ask you out, and all I'm asking is that you say yes and then we pretend to be this super loving couple so that we can fool Annabeth and then we break up and she drowns in a puddle of her own tears. Got it?"

Jason took a deep breath. Piper blinked.

"Seriously?" She said after a few moments.

"Yes, _seriously_."

Piper rolled her eyes. "All right, fine. I'll do it." She glanced around, looking for someone in particular—Annabeth was standing a few feet away, watching them with extreme concentration.

Piper leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Jason wanted to melt at her touch, but he straightened and held his ground. He could feel Piper's breath against his neck. And she still smelled like cinnamon.

"You owe me one, Grace," she whispered into his ear. She pulled back and sent him a dazzling smile, giving him a quick hug before running off to work.

Jason turned to Annabeth, who was staring with wide eyes. He gave her a weak smile and a thumbs up, and suddenly she was jumping and screaming. The look on Percy's face was priceless.

Jason exhaled.

This was going to be tough.

* * *

><p><strong>so that's that :D<strong>

**a few things i'd like to mention—two jasper oneshots coming up, because jasper. it's jasper. i love jasper. you love jasper. if you don't love jasper, why the hell are you here. go away.**

**haha i'm kidding. (not really)**

**anyway, i also have a sequel in mind for this story, but only if you guys want one. if you don't, i'll just post an epilogue for this story and leave it at that. but, my plan is to name it _operation senior year_, and it's obviously piper and jason in their senior year. not sure if it's just jasper-centric, i might include reyna and leo as main characters, but we'll see. again, if it's only if y'all want a sequel. i'll mention this again when—_if_—more people start reading this, because i'd need more feedback.**

**also, in a few months, i'm going to put out a percabeth story. human/high school au, like always, because those are my favorites. i've got a couple of ideas, majority of which are relatively the same, but they have their differences. i also might add in another jasper story, because my friend has been _begging _for it—another human au (surprise surprise), but it's based off of disney's movie, _radio rebel_. i'm calling mine _blogger baby_, because why not. a few of you may have seen it, if you saw my profile a few months ago.**

**so that's just a peek into the future. i have at _least _twenty more ideas—just counted, actually, i have 47, including the ones i mentioned—for fanfictions, so i'm definitely not going to run out anytime soon :)**


	24. Chapter 24

"Look, Piper," Jason said softly, leaning in closer to said girl. "We don't have to do it if it makes you uncomfortable. We can just tell Annabeth that it was all fake, and then it'll be over."

And that was the problem. Piper didn't _want _it to be fake.

A few weeks ago, she wouldn't have openly admitted her growing crush on Jason Grace.

And she still wouldn't.

But there was a part of her that happened to really enjoy "dating" Jason. It was definitely something she'd imagined for a long time—something she'd wanted, maybe—though she'd never actually imagined it happening. She knew that Jason blushed whenever she did something remotely intimate toward him, like a hug or a kiss on the cheek, but she also knew that he got flustered really easily. Which meant that he _probably _didn't like her.

Yet, there was also the fact that Jason was dared to ask Piper out, which meant one of two things—one being that Annabeth was still as obsessed as she'd always been, and two being she thought that he actually _did _like her. And when she'd almost fallen off that escalator, he'd held her close, as if he were afraid to let her go.

Heck. He'd even _kissed _her.

Not on the lips or anything. (Though, it wouldn't hurt to admit that she was wondering what that felt like.) Just the top of her head. But she couldn't help but feel like maybe, there was just the slightest chance that he liked her, too.

So there they were. Dating.

Piper came to terms with the fact that it did kind of hurt, that he was using her. Well, he wasn't really _using _her, in a way, but still. She couldn't really decide which was worse—if he asked her out, and she said yes without knowing that it was a dare, or if he asked her out, told her it was a dare, and then asked her if she could play along for a bit.

For the time being, she was stuck in the latter. She might as well go with it.

"It's fine," Piper replied with a weak smile. "I'm okay with it. I mean, I'm pretty sure it'll get a good kick out of Annabeth, and that will be priceless. It's a little weird now, but in the long run, I'm pretty sure it'll be worth it."

Jason grinned. He slipped his hand into hers and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, as if he'd been doing it for the past few years. (Although, he had. But with Reyna, not with Piper.) "I really do owe you one," he whispered against her skin. When he pulled back, she raised her eyebrows. He just sighed. "Look, in order to fool them into thinking that we're _actually _dating, we need to be a little more intimate."

Piper bit her lip.

"Is that okay?" Jason asked, his eyes widening, and Piper wanted to punch him right then and there because he was _so freaking caring_. "I mean, I guess we can try to avoid it as much as possible, if—"

Piper cut him off and kissed him on the cheek for the fourth time. _Goddamn it_, he was bright red again. "I'm fine with it, Jason. Relax."

Jason gave her another smile, squeezing her hand. And just like that, hand in hand, they waltzed into Goode High. Piper kept her head down. She wasn't used to all of the attention. (She didn't _want _all of the attention.)

Another thing—the news had spread like a wildfire.

Of course it had, though. Annabeth was the first person to actually find out, and, well, she was Annabeth. Just as it had with Reyna and Jason and Piper and Leo, she went absolutely _insane _when they got together. In fact, when Piper got home from work on the day he'd asked her, Annabeth had called her and demanded to know everything.

"Weren't you _there_?" Piper had asked, groaning because Annabeth was being especially frustrating in that moment.

"Yes," Annabeth replied casually. "But that was my point of view. And I already called Jason and asked for his point of view, and now I am asking for your point of view. So talk, McLean."

The two of them walked into science class together, drawing more whispers and funny looks. Piper tensed—wasn't used to it a few minutes ago, still wasn't used to it—and Jason noticed. He turned his head to look at her, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.

"It's nothing," she murmured, putting on a bright smile. Jason just nodded, and he released her hand as he sat down. Piper took her seat behind him just as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of first period.

Science was a blur. A blur full of excessive comments, majority of which included "congratulations" and "about fucking time." A few complained and said that he was better off with Reyna and Leo with Piper, but Jason shook them off.

Social Studies, another class that the two of them shared, wasn't any different. Piper took to keeping her head down—_literally_ down, flat against her desk—while Jason just laughed at her.

And then there was Drama, a class that only Piper had. That didn't mean it was any worse, though. Her female classmates decided to interrogate her, asking questions about how hot she thought Jason was and if they'd done _it _yet.

"No!" Piper exclaimed loudly. Ms. Grant turned to face them, raising an eyebrow, but Piper just sent her a reassuring smile, lowering her volume. "We got together yesterday. Of course we haven't!"

One of the girls—Janette, a sophomore—shrugged. "You act as if it's not a normal thing to do. My boyfriend and I did it four minutes after he asked me out."

"What?" Piper must have looked horrified, because another one of the girls, a freshman named Lily, started laughing. "Where did he ask you?"

"The mall," Janette replied casually, tugging on one of her black corkscrew curls. She sent Piper an innocent smile, letting out a long sigh. "Oh, what would I do without family bathrooms?"

"_Ew_, that's just ... _ew_." Piper crinkled her nose in disgust.

"And the best part? We were both thirteen."

Piper groaned, running a hand through her hair. "Let's just continue practicing. This conversation is becoming really awkward."

To make matters even worse, the skit that Ms. Grant had asked them to perform included a kissing scene between the two main characters. And, of course, Piper was one of the main characters. The other was a boy her age named Mark, who, admittedly, was a bit of a looker. People kept threatening to take a video and send it to Jason.

Piper barely managed to make it through the entire period, and when the bell rang, she literally ran out of the door. She wasn't looking where she was going, and she managed to bump into someone.

"Whoa, slow down," a familiar voice said with a laugh. Piper looked up—Jason was standing in front of her, his hands placed securely on her waist. She was kind of freaked out that someone might come up and start teasing them, but it would be a lie to say that she wasn't relieved.

"Hey," Piper said, placing her hands on his shoulders and kissing his cheek. "How was art class?"

"Boring," Jason replied. His cheeks were tinted red again. "As usual. I mean, I guess it's fun for other people, but art isn't my thing. I think I'll go for a different elective next year, but I'm not really sure what."

Piper wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head. "You should join Drama with me," she said, smiling when she saw Jason's expression. "It'll be fun. And, we could always be cast as love interests in the big production."

"What?" Jason teased, sending her a playful grin. "Do you _want _to be love interests?"

"Maybe ..." she said. He laughed.

"I would totally join if I could act," he pointed out. "But I can't. So I won't." His eyes darted around their surroundings, and he dropped his voice to a whisper. "You know, you're really good at this."

Piper shrugged, a smile playing on her lips. "I told you I was good at acting." She only realized what she'd just said moments after she'd said it, but if Jason was offended by it, it didn't really show. He just gave her a small smile, removing his hands from her waist and grabbing her hand.

They were together again, walking to the cafeteria. A few people took pictures, which was kind of embarrassing.

Annabeth was the first person in their group, and she shot up from the table, waving her hand like a maniac. Piper looked at Jason, and the two of them laughed, making their way over without even bothering to buy lunch.

"Hello, beautiful people," Piper said brightly, sliding into her usual chair. Jason sat down next to her, immediately slinging an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, just to add onto it.

"Hello, beautiful _couple_!" Reyna exclaimed, giving Annabeth a high five. "It's about time, guys! I always knew you two would figure out your undying love for each other and start dating."

"Reyna, I know it was a dare."

"Oh." Reyna's smile fell slightly, but she waved her hand. "It doesn't matter! You two still love each other, right? _Right_?"

Piper looked up at Jason. He gave her a wide smile, kissing her on the forehead. She couldn't help but notice the glint in his sky blue eyes—slightly guilty, but amused nonetheless. "Yeah. Of course." Annabeth and Reyna beamed, going in for a fist bump this time.

Piper looked around the table, and she was surprised to notice a bunch of other people. She knew all of them, but her lunch group usually consisted of only eight people, including her. This time, all fifteen people from the _squad shopping spree_, as Hazel had called it, were sitting with them. They'd taken a few tables and chairs from random parts of the cafeteria, and for the first time, Piper noticed of the empty spots in the large room. Everyone was staring at her and Jason expectantly.

She blinked. "Wow. There are a lot more beautiful people here than usual."

"All for you, ma'am," Percy said with a nod. "And Jason. Him too."

"So ..." Leo eyed Jason, tapping his fingers against the table with a beat. "You and Beauty Queen, huh?"

"Me and Beauty Queen," Jason agreed. Piper frowned. She still didn't like the nickname. Probably never would.

Leo stared at them for a long time. "I refuse to believe that you two are in love. I mean, you admitted that he was only dared to ask you out. I think you two are just fooling yourselves."

Piper put on her best offended expression. When she glanced at Jason, she saw that he'd done the same, and she had to admit—it was pretty convincing. He might have not been that bad of an actor after all.

"I like her, a lot," Jason said firmly, and Piper felt like hiding her face in his hoodie. "And I know that you're all overprotective brother mode right now, but I promise you. Sure, it was a dare, but it just gave me the courage I didn't have."

Percy started clapping. "This is an inspiration, folks." Travis and Connor joined him, and Katie gave both of them a slap upside the head.

"Okay, fine." Leo tried his hardest to glare at Jason, but Piper knew that he'd never been good when it came to seriousness. "But if you hurt her, I swear on my life that I will come to your house, rip out your guts with my bare hands, and then feed it to you. Have I made myself clear?"

Jason straightened his figure and saluted Leo, making Piper laugh. "Very clear, sir."

Leo seemed pleased. "Good. Now, putting that aside, I'd just like to say that it's _about fucking time_."

"Are you serious?" Piper asked incredulously. "You have _no _idea how many times people have said that to me today."

"And me," Jason added.

"Hey," Leo said, raising his hands in defense. "You two getting together is pretty big. It's even bigger than the Jeyna breakup. Or when Liper got together. Or when Liper broke up."

"You're _seriously _referring to us as Liper," Piper deadpanned. "You're using our ship name in first person. That makes things even worse."

"Seriously."

"You know what else is big?" Annabeth said excitedly, rocking back and forth in her chair. Percy scooted away, just an inch or two, and Piper bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. "Your first date. When's your first date? Wait, doesn't the date come before the title? Like, aren't you supposed to go on a date and then decide whether you want to be boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"I dunno," Jason replied. "Would you like us to break up right now, go on a date, and then decide that we hate each other and will never speak to one another for as long as we live?"

"No!" Annabeth yelped. "No, never mind what I said. When's your first date?"

"Tonight," Jason said confidently. Piper looked up at him, her eyebrows skyrocketing, and he just gave her a look. _Just play __along_, it said. The same as when they'd run into Dylan at Walmart.

"Oh!" Annabeth exclaimed. She looked over at Percy, who was staring at her with wide eyes. "Hey, Percy! We should go on a double date with them! Don't you think that would be fun?"

Percy blinked. "Um."

Annabeth momentarily lost her fangirl facade. She rolled her eyes and grabbed Percy by the collar of his blue polo shirt, pressing a long kiss to his lips. Piper snickered, and when Annabeth pulled back, Percy still hadn't lost the expression. It was just for a different reason.

"Okay, I know I'm a little crazy," Annabeth admitted, "but I'm not contagious. Got it?"

Percy was still looking like a deer in headlights. "Yeah," he mumbled. Annabeth laughed and grabbed his head, pulling him into a tight hug.

Piper started to applaud. The sound of her clapping echoed through the room. "The power couple, everyone," she announced, gesturing toward them. Annabeth took a bow, and the rest of them laughed.

"So, we're on for tonight?" Annabeth asked, leaning her head against Percy's.

"Yep," Jason said with a nod. "Definitely."

* * *

><p>"Jason Grace, I can't believe we're actually doing this."<p>

There was a light chuckle on the other end, and if Piper could slap him through the phone, then she totally would. "I'm sorry, Pipes. But we have to keep up with this at _least_ until after the Valentine's Day dance."

"Ugh." Piper grunted, opening the door to her closet. "I can't believe _I'm _actually doing this."

"Hey, it's not my fault you agreed to it."

"It's _your _fault that I'm in this situation in the first place."

"Technically, that's not true. It's Annabeth's for daring me." Jason paused for a second. "So, um. This is a bit of a weird request, but you think you can wear a dress? Something along that line?"

Piper pouted, as if Jason could see her. "I don't think I _own _a dress, Jason."

"There was that one you wore to the Cheesecake Factory," Jason responded. "On that weird triple date thing. Why can't you wear that?"

"It's redundant. It's not as if I'm going to wear that dress during every single one of my first dates." Piper shuffled through her closet. Definitely no dresses. "I've got nothing."

"Can you at least dress up a bit?" Jason pleaded. "It doesn't have to be a dress. Semi-casual, or something. It's a bit of a fancier restaurant."

Piper laughed. "Okay. Fine." She reached for something—a black skater skirt, high-waisted, one that Jane had bought her a while ago. Piper had never worn it before, though, but she had to admit that it was pretty. "How about a skirt?

"A skirt works," Jason said immediately. Piper could imagine him nodding his head. "That'll be fine. But, uh ... it's not leather, is it?"

"No," Piper said with another laugh. "It's not leather, I promise. What are you wearing?"

"A white dress shirt, some black pants. Do you think I should add a tie?"

"Go for it, Sparky. Make it black."

"Will do, ma'am. I guess I'll see you later, then?"

"Indeed you will. Bye!" Piper hung up and threw her phone onto her bed, before ultimately decided to go down with it. She groaned at the ceiling, holding the skirt to her chest.

Freaking Jason and his adorableness and Annabeth's dare and life.

Despite her current predicament, Piper decided to just lie there for a while. She'd decorated the room a bit, because she'd assumed that she was going to stay for a while. She didn't want to leave, anyway—her dad had been right. Goode was, well, good.

The walls were still white as ever, but Piper had added a few things here and there. A couple of blue picture frames, with pictures of her and Tristan that always made her nostalgic. Some posters, advertising movies and bands. She'd added a fuzzy blue rug to the hardwood floor, a little loft space in the corner with some couches and a TV. But her favorite part was definitely the string of photos that hung along the west wall—pictures she'd collected over the year of her and all of her new friends.

Yeah. Goode was definitely pretty good.

"Piper?" She sat up immediately. Jane was leaning against her door frame, one arm raised as she knocked against the wood. There was a small smile on her lips. "Don't you have a date to get ready for?"

"Yeah." Piper had told her about her and Jason, because after the whole breakup incident, Jane would ask her what happened at school everyday. She'd gotten nicer, certainly, and Piper appreciated it.

Jane's smile grew wider, and Piper knew what she was in for. "Come to the bathroom when you're done with your outfit. I'm going to curl your hair again."

Piper couldn't help but smile herself. This was the same way Jane had acted when Piper had gone on her first date with Leo. More nostalgia for her, wonderful.

Minutes later, Piper was staring into a mirror. She was dressed in something she'd _never _imagine herself in. The skirt, of course, had made its appearance, and with the help of Jane, she'd paired it with a white lace top, adding on a denim jacket. Jane had curled her hair to perfection again, and Piper had accessorized with a couple of bracelets.

Jason showed up at her door then, wearing exactly what he said he would. Piper honestly wished she could have taken a picture of his face when he opened the door, because it was _priceless._

"Piper, you ... you're a knockout."

* * *

><p><strong>HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DEMIGODS!<strong>

**Who's your godly parent? :) If it's a guy, then that makes things better. Because, well. Father's Day. I, myself, have battled with this question for a long time. I always had four choices—Athena, Apollo, Ares, and Aphrodite. (All of which start with A. "That's rather alliterative." ~ Annabeth Chase 2K15.) I have come to the ultimate conclusion that I'm a daughter of Aphrodite, and I'm proud of it. Plus, I get Piper as half-sister. That makes me happy. What about you guys? :)**


	25. Chapter 25

Scratch every single day of Annabeth's entire existence. Even the day of the shampoo incident. Because on this day, Annabeth was _way _more happier than she'd ever been in her entire life. By a long shot.

For starters, Jason and Piper were together. Finally. Annabeth was proud to say that Operation Jasper had been successful, despite the fact that they'd only started going out because of a dare. In all honestly, Annabeth and Reyna were kind of worried about how Piper would respond, but everything turned out okay. No, _more _than okay—from the looks of it, they were completely and utterly in love.

Annabeth went around school and constantly asked everyone she knew why she'd ever shipped Liper in the first place.

The double date had been a huge success, too. The four of them had gone to the Gotham Bar & Grill, which was a rather expensive restaurant, but Piper said she'd handle it. (And handle it she did—she ended up paying the bill, which made Jason all flustered.) She'd also revealed that upon arriving to her house, Jason had called her a knockout, which made Annabeth excited and Jason embarrassed.

To make things even better, Jason had asked her to the Valentine's Day dance and she'd said yes with hesitation. Percy hadn't asked Annabeth yet, but whenever it came to dances, they were automatically dates. They were _dating_, after all, and they had been for the past few years.

Speaking of which, Annabeth had another success to be proud about. Planning the Valentine's Day dance had gone so smoothly, she almost wanted to cry. Everything about it was flawless. The decorations, the entertainment, Jason's helplessly childish food.

Heck. Thanks to that, she was even _excited _for prom. Thalia had called her a few days ago and demanded that they go shopping for her dress together. Annabeth was confused, because Thalia didn't need a dress, nor did she even like dresses in the first place. (Or shopping, for that matter.) But Thalia enjoyed criticizing people. What better person to help Annabeth pick out the perfect dress?

The day of the Valentine's Day dance had come, and Annabeth was pretty pumped. Percy was set to pick her up around seven, an hour and a half before the dance started, so that they could grab some dinner beforehand. Annabeth had devoted all of the two hours before he picked her up to getting ready, which was definitely unusual.

Annabeth was positive that once she graduated from high school and began her freshman year at college—any one of the Ivy League schools, she'd applied to all of them but had yet to receive a response—she'd be back to normal. She wouldn't be obsessed with Starbucks or couples or anything. She'd be Annabeth Chase again, the excessively busy, hardworking student who was set on her academic success and that only.

(Hopefully, anyway.)

The clock hit noon, signaling that it was time for a quick lunch. Annabeth picked up Piper from her condo and drove the both of them to McDonald's, where they ordered a strawberry milkshake for each of them and twenty-piece McNuggets to share ... before Annabeth remembered that Piper was vegetarian.

"So, how's the dance coming along?" Piper asked, taking a long sip from her milkshake. Annabeth learned then that milkshakes were Piper's favorite drink—she mentally noted that she should tell Jason that.

"You mean, how did the dance _come _along?" Annabeth responded with a bright smile.

"Uh, sure."

"It was amazing. Definitely much better than the Halloween dance, at least. We were more organized as a whole, but let's not forget that I actually managed to buy the right decorations. On time, too! Purely Valentine's Day themed. Isn't that great?"

"Aw, shucks," Piper said. "I thought it was St. Patrick's Day."

"Oh, shut up." Annabeth watched Piper in disgust as she dipped a nugget in ranch. "Who the hell dips chicken nuggets in ranch? That's disgusting!"

Piper gave her a cheeky smile, swirling the nugget in the ranch. "Someone who doesn't actually eat chicken nuggets," she replied, rummaging through the McDonald's bag and pulling out barbecue sauce. She ripped open the little container and proceeded to dip the already ranch-covered nugget in it.

"You're weird," Annabeth said finally, after watching her dip the nugget into various condiments. She dipped her own nugget in ketchup. "Anyway, what are you wearing for the dance? I don't think it matters, though. I'm pretty sure that Jason is going to freak out and give you a thousand compliments, even if you show up in a garbage bag."

Piper let out a hearty laugh, but her tanned cheeks were tinted pink. "Very funny, Annabeth. But honestly, I have no idea what I'm wearing. I'm not wearing a dress, and even if I was, I'd have to buy one first. Is there a theme?"

"Red, pretty much." Annabeth paused. "Maybe some pink, white, black. And a little classier, for the most part."

"Ah," Piper said. "Well, in that case, a dress is _definitely _out of the question."

"Damn it," Annabeth said. "I'm positive that Jason would have loved to see you in a dress. And I would have loved to see _that_."

Piper's cheeks flared with color, and she took interest in the nugget she was holding that was drenched in honey mustard. "Hush, child."

Annabeth drove her back after they were done, and it was only within a few minutes of settling back in the house did she receive a call from Piper herself. Annabeth picked up almost immediately, staring at the window with concern as if Piper was standing there.

"What's up?" Annabeth said.

"This isn't fucking _cool_, man."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows, and she started to pace her bedroom. "What did I do?"

"Oh, you did nothing," Piper said as gently as possible, but her tone was definitely pretty angry. "I come home from a nice little lunch with my good friend, and then bam! Jane just suddenly has a dress waiting for me on my bed!"

"Seriously?" Annabeth tried hard to refrain from laughing, because if she did, it was very likely that Piper would walk straight to her house and murder her. "When did she get it?"

"Right after I left, apparently," Piper said bitterly. There was some scuffling on the other end. "While we were enjoying some incredibly unhealthy food, she decided it would be a good idea to go and buy me a dress?"

"Are you going to wear it?" Annabeth asked before she could realize that it was a terribly lame question. She wanted to take it back, but Piper either didn't notice or didn't care—she answered it anyway.

"I _have _to," Piper replied. "That's what makes me the most frustrated. She got so excited about my first date with Leo and then my first date with _Jason_, and now I'm here, glaring at a dress, while Jane patiently waits outside my door so that she can comment on how much better I look than usual."

Annabeth let out a small laugh then—she couldn't resist. "I'm sorry," she said, but it didn't sound like an apology so much as a tease.

Piper grunted. "Yeah, well, I have to go try this on before the dance, because if it doesn't fit, Jane is going to freak and drag me to the mall. I'll see you at the dance, Annie. Please don't take pictures."

"Can't promise that," Annabeth said, just barely managing to get it out before Piper hung up.

Life was just getting better and better. For Annabeth, anyway. Piper was actually wearing a dress, which meant pictures, and a reaction from Jason, and then even more pictures, because his reaction was bound to be priceless.

Annabeth glanced at the time and decided that there was certainly enough time for a pampering session. She put on a face mask first. Then she prepared a bubble bath, making sure to light a few candles, and hopped right in with a good book, a cup of tea, and her guilty pleasure album—Speak Now by Taylor Swift. Deluxe edition, she might add.

She stayed there until she'd gone through the entire album, and when it was over, she went to straight to taking off the mask and moisturizing with her favorite lotion.

And after that, she just sat on her bed and watched some Netflix until the clock hit five. A common day in the life of your average teenager.

When the clock _did _hit five, Annabeth shut her laptop so hard that it almost bounced off her bed and ran to get her dress—short-sleeved, knee-length, lacy and hugging. A thin sash across the waist. It was absolutely gorgeous, and though not as much as Piper, Annabeth didn't like dresses too much.

Annabeth spent the rest of her first "preparation" hour working on her hair. Her curls were natural, that much was true, but on that particular day, they were _incredibly _wild. She struggled with her stepmother's curling iron—she'd never really had to use it before, anyway. But after a long time, she'd managed to perfect her curls, pinning the entire thing into a pretty sideways bun.

As she moved on to the makeup, she came to the shocking realization that she'd have to do the exact same thing during prom, if she wanted to look nice. That would _not _be fun.

Makeup was simple. Gold eyeshadow, pink blush, red lips. The works. She came out of the bathroom bearing a great resemblance to Taylor Swift, but she certainly didn't mind. Taylor—and Taylor's _face_, for that matter—was definitely admirable.

She still had ten minutes to spare, and she was _planning _on watching more Netflix, but her father called her down and forced her to take some pictures, even if one: Percy wasn't there, and two: she'd been to the Valentine's Dance for the past three years. It wasn't even that special.

"You look absolutely _precious_, Annabeth," Mr. Chase insisted, snapping another picture with his gigantic camera. Another bright flash went off, and Annabeth's forced smile flinched.

And again—_prom_.

Percy showed up at just the right time, when Mr. Chase had been trying to get Annabeth to sit on top of a table and take more pictures. She still had to take pictures, but they were with Percy, so it wasn't so bad.

"Where are we headed to today, sir?" Annabeth asked, once she and Percy had gotten into the car and escaped the wrath of her father. (And his camera.)

Percy gave her a sideways grin, gently stepping on the gas pedal as the stoplight turned green. "Print. My treat."

"It better be your treat," Annabeth teased. "Because if it's not, I'm ditching you and third-wheeling Piper and Jason." She paused. "You better not mess this up, Jackson. Because I'd love to stalk Piper and Jason right now."

Percy stuck his tongue out at her, and she was more than happy to return the gesture. Once the light turned red, Percy leaned over and stole a quick kiss before she could stop him. (Not that she was going to stop him, though.)

Annabeth ended up ordering the most expensive dish on the menu, just to spite him. He hadn't said anything about it, but he knew—she could see it in his expression—but he still paid the bill, regardless of the price. It made Annabeth feel both happy and guilty.

"All right," Percy said, once he'd gotten the receipt. He leaned back against his chair, letting out a content sigh as he looked at his watch. "The dance starts in two minutes—"

"_What_?"

"—so I think we should get going," he finished, his green eyes growing wider with each word. Annabeth jumped out of the booth and grabbed him by his red tie, violently pulling him out of the restaurant and getting a few weird looks from some other customers.

"Why didn't you _tell _me?" Annabeth demanded, slamming the car door and sticking the keys in the ignition before Percy could even get inside.

"You have a phone," Percy spluttered, raising his hands in defense. He floored the pedal and the car zoomed out of the parking lot. "With the time on it."

"Did you see me check it during dinner?" Annabeth asked, tightly gripping the armrests. She glanced at the speedometer—it'd raised from zero to eighty in a matter of seconds, and it was only getting faster. "_No_."

"Maybe you should have," Percy grumbled, jerking the wheel to the side as he turned a tight corner. "But, hey, I didn't know either! So we can't blame each other."

In the rush, Percy ended up getting lost, and then Annabeth became helplessly cocky and took the wheel, but then _she _got lost, so they turned to Google Maps. It ended up taking them way longer to get to the school than if they'd just relaxed and slowed down a bit. By the time they pulled into the parking lot of Goode, it was already almost nine.

Annabeth stumbled out of the car, frowning at any student who dared to look her in the eye. "We've both lived here for our entire lives, and we still somehow managed to get lost," she deadpanned. "Isn't that wonderful?"

Percy smiled at her, despite the given situation. "Very wonderful," he said, snaking his arms around her waist and giving her a kiss. She melted into his arms immediately—he'd become her stress treatment.

"I think," Annabeth said breathlessly, once she'd pulled away, "that we should get going now. Before the freshmen see anything that they _probably _shouldn't have seen at this age."

Percy grinned at her, and one arm remained wrapped tightly around her waist as they walked into the gym together. It looked just as Annabeth had imagined when she bought the decorations—hearts and balloons and everything was just so pretty. Annabeth almost broke down into tears.

The two of them spotted Jason first. Well, in reality, _he _saw _them _first. He was leaning against the food table, smiling at nothing in particular, when he saw them. His smile widened, and he waved them over.

"Hey!" He said brightly, raising his cup of fruit punch. "What took you guys so long to get here?"

"We went to dinner, and then we got lost and somehow ended up in Queens," Annabeth explained, picking up a cookie despite her full stomach.

"Sure you d—"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Grace," Annabeth warned, pointing her cookie at him. He raised his hands in surrender.

"OH MY GOSH," Percy shrilled in a mock-falsetto tone, batting his eyelashes at Jason. "We're wearing the same thing! TWINSIES! Let's take a selfie."

Jason laughed, looking down to see what he was wearing. Percy was right. They were wearing the exact same thing—a red tie and a black vest placed over a white shirt and black pants. But looking around the room, a lot of people seemed to be wearing it.

"You are," Annabeth said, nodding her head. "But Percy looks better."

"I beg to differ," a familiar voice said, before any of the boys could react. Piper came up behind Jason, and she easily slipped her hand into his. Even in the darkness of the gym, Annabeth could see the redness in his cheeks.

"You weren't kidding about the dress," was the first thing Annabeth actually said to Piper. She'd paired a red halter dress with black wedges, and Annabeth guessed that Jane had done her hair again—the same voluminous curls, for every time she had to dress up.

Piper sighed. "Unfortunately, I wasn't."

"You look amazing, though," Annabeth said immediately after, but it was true. She did look like a _knockout_, in Jason's words. Speaking of which, he seemed to agree, too, with a nod of his head. Annabeth looked at him. "You're blushing."

He blushed even more. "Am not."

"Are too."

"Am _not_."

"Are _too_."

"Am n—"

"Oh, honey," Piper said in an exasperated tone. She turned and cupped Jason's face in her hands, bringing him unbearably close to her. (Unbearably, that is, for Annabeth. It was unbearably cute.) "You're definitely blushing."

Jason's entire face turned into a tomato, and Piper laughed, kissing his cheek. "You're adorable," she said, wrapping one arm around his waist. He muttered something incoherent, wrapping his own arm around her shoulders and smiling down at her.

"_You're _adorable," Annabeth said, gesturing to the both of them. "Very adorable. Do you think you can stay like that for a few seconds? I think I'm going to take a picture."

"Not today, Annie," Piper said with a playful smirk, wagging her finger. "Anyway, what took you guys so long to get here?"

Jason jumped at the chance. "They had se—"

Annabeth promptly threw her half-eaten cookie at his face. He managed to bring his hand up just in time to deflect it, and it went flying across the room. He raised his arms in a _what was that for? _sort of gesture, crinkling his nose. Piper was just laughing at him.

"We got lost," Annabeth said casually, ignoring Jason. "Where were you?"

"I was helping Reyna with something," Piper replied. She twisted around in Jason's grip, staring back at the stage. A few of Annabeth's fellow student council members were running across, carrying all kinds of things. Gwen swung around with a microphone stand and narrowly missed Reyna's head. "I think they're going to do the cutest couple contest now."

"Ooh," Annabeth said. She reached forward and nudged Piper. "What's to bet that it's you and Jason?"

Piper waved her hand. "I doubt it. We've barely been together that long. It's probably you and Percy."

"We'll see."

And right at that moment, the music stopped, and the sound of Reyna clearing her throat echoed through the gymnasium. "How's everybody doing tonight?" She yelled brightly.

A round of cheering broke out among the crowd of teenage students, and Reyna patiently waited until they were done to continue speaking. She was wearing a red dress of her own, a short, strapless one that fit her perfectly. Her shiny dark hair cascaded in ringlets down her back, the front half having been pinned back with a silver clasp.

"Before you guys continue grinding on each other and whatever the hell else you're all doing," Reyna said, and there was more cheering, "we'd like to formally announce the winners of our cutest couple contest!"

More cheering. Annabeth wanted them to shut up so that Reyna could get to the point.

"How about we welcome my fellow co-student body president, Jason Grace, to the stage!" Reyna exclaimed, spreading her arms to build the excitement. Everyone was cheering again, even louder than before, and Jason gave Piper a quick kiss on the cheek before running onto the stage.

Dakota handed him a microphone, and he raised a limp hand in greeting, smiling at the crowd. "What's up, guys?"

Everybody started screaming. Jason laughed straight into the microphone, gesturing for everyone to calm down.

"A few days ago, we asked everyone to cast their votes on who they thought cutest couple in school was. It could have been anyone, really, from Percy and Annabeth to Travis and Katie." He gestured to said couples as he paced the stage slowly, leaning in toward the crowd. "We've tallied up all the votes, and in a few seconds, you're going to find out whether or not your favorite couple won. Reyna, if you will."

Reyna gave a slight curtsy as Jason handed the attention over to her. Gwen handed her a silver envelope, and she wagged it in front of everyone to build the anticipation. Agonizingly slowly, she opened up the envelope and pulled out a small slip of paper. Her eyes widened, a smile spreading across her face, and she momentarily lowered the envelope.

"Well," she said softly, her smile progressively growing bigger. "One half of the couple is standing right next to me."

Jason's eyebrows skyrocketed.

"Ladies and gentleman, your cutest couple of the year—Jason Grace and Piper McLean!"

* * *

><p><span><em><strong>WARNING: CONTAINS SLIGHT SPOILER FOR NEXT CHAPTER (ISH)<strong>_

**Blah. This chapter kinda sucked. xD But at least I finished it, right? And it's a cliffie. Who doesn't love cliffhangers? *glares down rick riordan aka professional troll***

**Next chapter ... they'll have their first kiss. :)) (But in that moment, it's not particularly a good thing. You'll see.)**

**So, yeah, I've been a little MIA, because soccer camp started on Monday, and it's absolutely exhausting. When I get home, all I wanna do is lounge around and watch YouTube. (I don't have a Netflix. Don't judge.) Sorry for that. And I know that there was someone who wanted to see the date, so for that reviewer and anybody else who wanted to see it, I'm really sorry :( It didn't fit into my plan, and I was considering squeezing it into this chapter, but this one ended up going over 3,000 words, which is kinda rare for me.**

**But then again, I never promised daily updates, I just said I'd throw them out whenever I finished them. So, anyway, hope you enjoyed, and I'll try to get the next chapter up soon! (Because, yes, it begins the lead into _real _Jasper.)**


	26. Chapter 26

"Thalia, there is no way in _hell _I'm letting you spray cologne on me."

Thalia just gave Jason a devilish smirk, stepping toward him and forcing him to back into the wall behind him. "Can't stop me now, little bro," she said, shaking the bottle. "I will spray this cologne up your—"

"_Thalia_," Jason complained, pushing his back against the wall like he was trying to melt into it. "Come on!"

Thalia kept smirking at him. She took another step toward him.

"Thalia!"

In a matter of seconds, Thalia had lunged toward him and placed the small bottle at his neck as if it were a knife. The nozzle was facing him, and he gulped.

"Give me _one _reason," Thalia began, leaning in closer and narrowing her eyes at him, "as to why I shouldn't spray you with cologne. Aside from the fact that you smell like you just took a swim in a garbage truck."

"I don't smell li—" Jason cut himself off with his own groan, raising his arms in annoyance. "Okay, you want a reason? My reason is that maybe, you know, maybe the cologne is a bad luck charm. Like, remember that I broke up with Reyna? It was right before the Halloween dance. Because I was wearing the _cologne_. And now I'm going to the Valentine's Day dance. Do you want me to break up with Piper?"

Thalia stared at him with a blank expression, not daring to say anything in return. Jason secretly deemed himself victorious, despite the fact that Thalia hadn't really reacted to it yet.

"Ugh," Thalia said, and Jason grinned. She threw the bottle over her head, and there was a loud crash. She winced. "I'll clean that up later. Anyway, do something with your hair that will distract people from your stink."

"I don't _have _a stink," Jason insisted, stepping past Thalia and looking at the full-length mirror they'd placed near the front door. "And what's wrong with my hair? I already spent a lot of time fixing it."

Thalia came up behind him, looking at him through the mirror. She had on that same smirk, and before Jason could realize what she was doing, she reached up and ruffled his hair.

He groaned as Thalia walked away with a swagger in her step. "That was uncalled for!" He yelled, frowning and bringing his hands up to fix his hair. "Can you at _least _get me a brush?"

A blue plastic hairbrush hit him in the head.

"That was _also _uncalled for!"

"You were uncalled for!"

"Jerk." Jason rolled his eyes, picking up the brush and starting to mess around with his hair again, in a bad attempt to get it back to its original state. Admittedly, he hadn't done much to it in the first place, just tidied it up a bit.

Thalia appeared behind him again, and his eyes widened in alarm. She raised her hands behind her head in surrender, stepping back a bit, and Jason relaxed.

"Be good to Piper," Thalia said, giving him a pointed look. "She's a nice girl. And if you break her heart, I will shove a fucking grapefruit up yo—"

"All right, all right," Jason interrupted, turning to face her. He tossed the hairbrush onto the dinner table and took Thalia by the shoulders. "I get it. No hurting Piper. No shoving gigantic fruits up my ass."

Thalia grinned and wrapped her arms around him in an affectionate hug. He responded cautiously, slowly placing his arms around her back.

"Come on, man. I'm not going to murder you."

Jason laughed, and he tightened his grip around her. When they pulled back, Thalia gave him a pat on the back that almost sent him flying into the opposing wall.

"Go get her, tiger."

Jason smiled and dipped down to kiss Thalia on the cheek before confidently striding out of the door, slamming it shut behind him. He called Piper as he got into the car, turning on the ignition.

"What's up, Sparky?" Her voice said immediately.

"I'm coming over now," he replied, turning onto the street. "Are you ready?"

"Hell yeah." Jason laughed—he could practically hear the grin in her voice.

"Great. See you in a few."

He hung up and focused his attention on the road. Even if he'd only ever gone to her place once—just to pick her up for the first date—he already had the route memorized. It was a little weird, considering the fact that it'd taken him a dozen times to memorize the way to Reyna's house.

Jason pulled into the parking lot of the condominium complex and got out immediately, locking the car as he jogged into the building. The woman at the reception desk was the same woman who'd been there when Jason had picked Piper up for the date.

"I'm guessing you're picking up Miss McLean again?" The woman asked, raising an amused eyebrow. Jason laughed nervously, sticking his hands into his pockets.

"You have guessed right," he said awkwardly, finding interest in his shoes. She—Jason glanced at her name tag, and her name was Sara—leaned down and muttered something before smiling back up at Jason.

"She's ready," she said brightly, gesturing toward the elevator. Jason smiled weakly at her and walked toward the elevator, pressing the 'up' button. The elevator arrived within a few minutes, and he went up to the eleventh floor, where Piper was.

Luckily for him, Piper's condo was just a few rooms down from the elevator. He nervously knocked on her door.

The door swung open immediately. Jason was ready to greet Piper, but instead, Jane showed up, wearing her usual business attire. She smiled at him. "Hi, Jason," she said, and then turned to yell into the condo. "Piper! Jason's here!"

"Don't you think I _know _that?" Piper shouted back in an irritated tone. Jason laughed lightly, shoving his hands back into his pockets and tapping his foot against the carpeted floor of the hallway.

Piper appeared in a flash of red and brown, forcefully shoving Jane farther inside the condo. Jane yelped, and Piper just rolled her eyes. She muttered something incoherent and looked Jason straight in the eye, giving him a bright smile. "Hey," she said casually, as if she hadn't just practically thrown her parental figure.

"Hey," Jason replied, laughing again. "Is she, uh, okay?"

Piper waved her hand dismissively. "Ah, she'll be fine. It's happened a bunch of times. You'd be surprised." She sized him up, nodding her head in approval. "You turned out pretty well, Grace. I'm impressed."

"You aren't too ..." Jason trailed off as, for the first time, he noticed that Piper was wearing a _dress_. And _heels_. With _curled hair_. All of which were pretty rare, unless it was a special occasion. And it _was _a special occasion, so he should have expected it, but there was something about her that still took his breath away.

"Jason Grace," she warned, bringing him out of his trance. "If you call me a knockout again, I swear—"

"You look gorgeous," he blurted before thinking, immediately bringing his hands to his mouth. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks, and he could _see _the heat rising up to Piper's as she laughed at him.

"_That_," she said, tapping his nose, "I'm fine with." She grabbed his hand and stepped out of the condo, pulling on the door handle. "Jane! We're going now!"

"Don't you think I _know _that?" Jane called in a mocking tone. Piper blew a raspberry—though if Jane could notice from wherever she was, Jason wasn't sure—and shut the door, dragging Jason down the hallway and into the elevator.

"Oh," Piper exclaimed, "I forgot to ask. How was your search for cookies with smiley faces?"

"It was a success," Jason said proudly, straightening his stance. Piper laughed. "Kind of. I just did what you told me to, bought some last-minute cookies from Walmart and some frosting and added some smiley faces. Bam. Cookies with smiley faces."

Piper leaned into him as the elevator doors walked open and they strolled out. "Glad to know that I helped."

"You dramatically changed the lives of many high school students for the better," Jason agreed. Piper laughed again. He still liked her laugh.

"Have fun, kids!" Someone said behind them. It was Sara, the woman at the reception desk. Jason gave her an awkward smile and a wave before pulling Piper out onto the parking lot.

She was laughing again. She'd been laughing a lot. "What was that?" She asked, once they'd gotten into the car.

"Nothing really," Jason told her. He buckled up and shoved the key into the ignition. "She just recognized me from the first time I picked you up, so she already knew what I was here for."

"That's cute." Piper paused. "You know, she never recognized Leo. I think she thought he was a gang member."

"Every time?" Jason asked incredulously, gingerly driving out of the parking lot.

"Every time," Piper said. "It was kind of weird."

Jason laughed, but he didn't say anything. In fact, he didn't really say anything for the rest of the drive there. It wasn't a very long trip, admittedly, but Piper had noticed his tenseness. She leaned toward him and placed a hand on his arm.

"Hey," she said softly. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Jason responded, after a few minutes. "I'm fine."

Piper kept staring at him with this knowing look, and he tried his best to ignore it, but every time he looked at her, she still had the same expression. Jason sighed, parking the car but not getting out.

"It's just, the last time I went to a dance, I ended up breaking up with Reyna. And, well, I know that we're not exactly _dating ..._" Jason glanced at Piper, and she was nodding. "But I don't want anything to happen. Like, cause a riff in our friendship. Or something."

Piper gave him a gentle laugh and grin, opening the passenger door. "Well, fake boyfriend." She paused as she got out of the car, and continued once they were both out. "I don't think we'll be 'breaking up' anytime soon."

"Good," Jason said firmly, smiling back at her. He took her hand again and led her to the gym, occasionally looking at his watch. The dance had just started, so they probably hadn't missed anything.

Despite that, the gym was almost fully packed once they walked in. It was dark, illuminated by only a few strobe lights here and there. Jason tightened his grip on Piper's hand, just in case he managed to lose her.

"Hey!" A familiar voice shouted over the loud music. Leo was walking toward them, dressed in his usual attire—except his suspenders were black and his skinny jeans were red, which fit the theme pretty well. "Look who made it!"

"What's up?" Piper said brightly, reaching out to give him a one-armed hug and affectionately ruffle his hair. Her hand remained in Jason's.

"The ceiling," Leo replied. He pulled on his suspenders and did jazz hands, beaming at both of them.

"You're lame," Jason told him. Leo stuck out his tongue and tap danced back into the crowd of teenagers.

Reyna came up to them next, in a strapless red dress that fitted her well. She'd done something with her hair that actually _wasn't _a braid, for the first time in forever. "Hi, guys," she said with a small wave, smiling at them.

"You look nice, Reyna," Jason said.

"Thank you, Jase Grace."

Jason frowned at her, and Piper just laughed. "How's everything coming along?" She asked.

"Great, actually." Reyna briefly turned and faced the stage, moving her head around to get a better view. She whipped back around to face them ... well, to face Piper. "Hey, can I have some help setting up the stage? We're a little low on student council members right now."

"Wha—" Jason began, offended, but Piper cut him off.

"I'd love to," Piper said, letting go of Jason's hand and walking toward Reyna.

"Hey!" Jason exclaimed. "'We're a little low on student council members?' Are you serious? I'm your freaking _co-student body president_!"

"No, you're not!" Reyna shouted as she pulled on Piper's wrist, leading her into the crowd and leaving Jason all by himself.

He glanced around the room, looking for someone that he knew, and despite the fact that he _was _co-student body president, there wasn't really anyone that he could talk to easily. Percy and Annabeth still hadn't arrived—he had a sneaking suspicion as to why—and he'd seen Frank and Hazel once, but they seemed to have disappeared. There was Leo, but he was off doing his own thing. His student council friends were setting up the stage.

Jason shrugged helplessly and walked over to the food table, leaning against it. He grabbed a cup of fruit punch and took a sip. Fruity. He also grabbed a cookie or two, because he was proud of himself, and pretty much just stayed there. It would be a lie to say that he didn't consider going up and helping with the stage, despite what Reyna had said, but it would be another lie to say that he was too lazy to move.

So, yeah, he stayed there.

A few people came up to him, Nico—who was closely accompanied by Will—and Rachel and Katie. They didn't stay for long, though, just said hi and then danced away. And Jason didn't move an inch.

Percy and Annabeth came a few minutes later, looking completely out of breath. He beamed at them, waving, and raised his cup in greeting.

"Hey!" He said brightly. "What took you guys so long to get here?"

Annabeth messed around with the small wisps of hair that were falling from her bun. She picked up a cookie and took a big bite, which made Jason proud. "We went to dinner, and then we got lost and somehow ended up in Queens."

Jason grinned, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Sure you d—"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Grace." Annabeth pointed her cookie at him, as if it were a weapon, and he backed off.

"OH MY GOSH." If Jason hadn't been staring right at Percy, he wouldn't have been able to guess that it was his voice. He'd perfectly matched the pitch of a screaming stereotypical fangirl. "We're wearing the same thing! TWINSIES! Let's take a selfie."

Jason laughed, and he looked at both his and Percy's outfit. They were wearing the same thing—_exactly_. It was a little freaky, but at the same time, it seemed like a lot of other people had been wearing the same sort of thing.

Annabeth nodded, her gaze flickering between the two of them. "You are. But Percy looks better."

"I beg to differ." Jason turned his head, and Piper walked up to the three of them, taking his hand. He flushed, which confused him, because he and Piper had held hands millions of times. Maybe she just surprised him.

"You weren't kidding about the dress," Annabeth said immediately, her eyes traveling over Piper.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't," Piper said with a sigh. Jason thought it was pretty fortunate. For him, anyway. And anybody who had _eyes_. Not that he wanted anyone to check her out. He was being particularly a particular possessive fake boyfriend in that moment.

"You look amazing, though," Annabeth complimented, and Jason thought it was a bit of an understatement. Annabeth glanced at him, raising her eyebrows. "You're blushing."

If he looked like how he felt, then Jason blushed even more. "Am not."

"Are too," Annabeth challenged.

"Am _not_," Jason insisted.

"Are _too_."

"Am n—"

Piper gave out an exasperated sigh, whipping around and cupping Jason's face in her hands. "Oh, honey. You're definitely blushing."

He blushed even more, and Piper laughed at him, pressing a sweet kiss to his cheek. "You're adorable," she gushed, slipping an arm around his waist.

"So are you," he muttered, quietly enough for only him to hear it. He smiled down at the girl clinging to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and squeezing her against him. She was a very nice fake girlfriend. Why couldn't she be a real girlfriend?

Annabeth squealed. "_You're _adorable," she said, thrusting her arms out in a way of gesturing toward them. "Very adorable. Do you think you can stay like that for a few seconds? I think I'm going to take a picture."

Piper wagged her finger at her, smirking. "Not today, Annie. Anyway, what took you guys so long to get here?"

"They had se—" Jason began immediately, but then Annabeth threw her half-eaten cookie at his face, and he barely had time to deflect it. It flew across the room, and he looked back at Annabeth, putting on his best offended expression. Piper was laughing _again_.

"We got lost," Annabeth told Piper, completely ignoring the fact that she'd almost nailed Jason in the eye with his own cookie. "Where were you?"

"I was helping Reyna with something. I think they're doing the cutest couple contest now." Piper wriggled around in his tight grip and looked at the stage, where Jason's fellow student council members were setting up. He bit his lip to keep from laughing as Gwen spun around with a microphone stand and almost beheaded Reyna.

"Ooh," Annabeth said, nudging Piper. "What's to bet that it's you and Jason?"

"I doubt it." Piper's eyes flickered to Jason, before she returned her attention back to Annabeth. She waved her hand. "It's probably you and Percy."

"We'll see," Annabeth said.

The music slowly dissolved into nothingness, and the only sound was Reyna clearing her throat into the microphone. "How's everybody doing tonight?"

Everyone started to cheer.

"Before you guys continue grinding on each other and whatever the hell else you're all doing, we'd like to formally announce the winners of our cutest couple contest!"

And more cheering.

Reyna's obsidian eyes traveled over the crowd of eager teenagers before finally landing on Jason. She gave him a barely visible nod before raising her arms. "How about we welcome my fellow co-student body president, Jason Grace, to the stage!"

Jason kissed Piper on the cheek before he could lose any courage and darted off to the stage. He took a microphone from Dakota and hopped on, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "What's up, guys?" He exclaimed, raising a hand and smiling.

The gym erupted into screams—and, well, more cheering—and Jason laughed, forgetting to pull away the microphone.

He began to pace the stage. "A few days ago, we asked everyone to cast their votes on who they thought the cutest couple in school was. It could have been anyone, really, from Percy and Annabeth to Travis and Katie," he said, gesturing to each couple. "We've tallied up all the votes, and in a few seconds, you're going to find out whether or not your favorite couple won. Reyna, if you will."

Jason gestured toward her, and she curtsied, gaining a few wolf-whistles. Gwen reached up and gave her a silver envelope, and Reyna leaned in close, wiggling the envelope to tease everyone. Very, _very _slowly, she opened the envelope, pulling out a little piece of paper. She read it quickly, her smile and her eyes simultaneously widening.

"Well," she said quietly, momentarily lowering the envelope to get a better look at everyone. "One half of the couple is standing right next to me."

All Jason could do was raise his eyebrows.

"Ladies and gentleman," Reyna yelled, "your cutest couple of the year—Jason Grace and Piper McLean!"

The noise grew even louder than it had before, even with the music and the excessive cheering. Jason locked eyes with Piper, and he gave her a small smile, gesturing for her to come up to the stage. She seemed frightened.

_It'll be okay_, Jason mouthed. Piper nodded her head, smiling confidently, and ran up to the stage, immediately tackling Jason with a hug.

He laughed, leaning back to accommodate the force by which she'd hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, rocking back and forth.

"What now?" She whispered in his ear.

"I don't know," he replied, pulling back and keeping one arm around her.

Reyna stared at them expectantly. "Well?" She said, her lips curling upward into a smirk. "You just won cutest couple. And what are you supposed to do know?" She wiggled her eyebrows at Jason before turning to everyone else.

Piper blanched.

"Kiss, kiss, kiss," Reyna said, repeating it over and over like a mantra. She waved her free arm, and everyone started to cheer with her.

"_KISS! KISS! KISS!_"

Piper grabbed Jason by the shoulders and whipped him around to face her. Her eyes were wide. "Was kissing part of the intimacy contract?" She hissed, stealing glances at the crowd of teenagers that was progressively growing louder.

"We didn't _have _an intimacy contract," Jason replied, feeling his face heat up.

"Well, then, what the hell are we supposed to—"

Jason cut her off by grabbing her face and pressing his lips to hers.

He'd always imagined that kissing someone like Piper would feel pretty good. It wasn't saying that any of his past girlfriends were bad kissers, though he'd only had one girlfriend. Reyna always made him feel relaxed. And Piper—goddamn, Jason wished that he could have kept kissing her forever.

The cheering only grew louder, and Jason could vaguely make out Annabeth's screaming. Piper didn't respond at first, but he could feel her sigh against his lips. She brought her hands up his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and keeping them there. Jason tilted his head, deepening the kiss.

She pulled back then, staring at him with wide eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>AHAHAHhWHSAH wHAt just happened.<strong>


	27. Chapter 27

You would think that when someone was close to tears, you would take them seriously. But it was absolutely _impossible _for Piper to take Annabeth seriously, especially when she was crying over _this_.

"You mean to tell me," she said shakily, fiercely rubbing at her eye with the palm of her hand, "that you and Jason were never actually dating?"

Piper let out a loud, irritated sigh, forcefully pulling open her locker. "_Yes_, Annabeth," she said for what had to be rummaging through the mess of papers in an attempt to find her social studies textbook. "He asked me to fake-date him so that we could, what's the word, _fool _you."

"You're so cruel." Annabeth sniffed.

"It worked," Piper said casually, shoving her textbook into her backpack and slamming her locker closed. She snorted, slinging her backpack over her shoulders and striding toward the doors. Annabeth had to jog to keep up with her. "I _told _him I was a good actress."

"You can act?" Annabeth asked quietly, pulling out a random back of tissues from her backpack and noisily blowing her nose.

Piper knit her eyebrows. "Are you forgetting that you took me to my drama class on my third day of school?"

"Oh," Annabeth squeaked. "Right."

"You know, I don't understand." Piper burst through the doors, squinting under the harsh sunlight. Annabeth, who'd been moving sluggishly, almost crashed right into the doors. She stumbled, pushing through it and barely saving herself from faceplanting on the concrete. "Why are _you _so upset about this?"

Annabeth choked back a sob, slapping her hand over her heart. "My shipper heart," she moaned. "It has been murdered. It has been viciously stabbed, over and over again with a butcher's knife."

"I get that you're obsessed," Piper said, "but he was my _friend_. A really good friend. And that kiss has caused a riff between us, which is exactly what he _didn't _want. We haven't talked to each other in three days, Annabeth. It kinda sucks."

"We need a funeral," Annabeth continued, blowing her nose again. "We need to plan a funeral for my heart."

Piper groaned, slapping her hand against her forehead. "You're hopeless. Sorry, Annie, but I'm ditching you." She ruffled Annabeth's blonde curls, but if she even noticed, she certainly didn't show it. Piper stared at her for a few more seconds before turning on her heels and walking away.

"No, wait!" Annabeth's voice wailed, as a late reaction. "Piper, don't leave me! I need someone to cry with!"

"Don't cry with me!" Piper shouted back, her eyes flickering from side to side as she started to cross the street. "I'm not even crying!"

"I will share my tears! There are too goddamn many of them anyway!"

Piper rolled her eyes, as if anyone could see her, and proceeded to stuff her earbuds into her ears. Music was a classic comforter for everyone—the ultimate escape from reality. Piper had been needing to escape really often lately.

She was definitely surprised when she and Jason won cutest couple, because she wasn't kidding when she said that she thought Percy and Annabeth would win. They'd been together for three years, and she and Jason had only been together for a few weeks—but now they weren't even on speaking terms—so it came as a shock when Reyna announced their names.

She'd _wanted _to kiss him, that much was true. Had she fantasized over it? No, certainly not. But she couldn't help but wonder what it felt like. She panicked on that stage—which was terrible if she _did _end up being an actress—and asked Jason if kissing was part of the _intimacy contract_. Freaking nonexistent intimacy contract.

But then he grabbed her face and kissed her, full on the lips. It wasn't her first kiss, because she'd kissed Leo a shit ton of times, but something about it was special. Even if they'd been forced to do it. And they weren't even dating in the first place.

Then Piper just _had _to ruin everything by pulling back first. And she couldn't even imagine what her expression must have looked like, because Jason ran off, which earned a collective amount of gasps from the crowd. (Annabeth's screaming had reduced to little squeaks, and then back to screaming, but for a different reason.)

So then the news spread—Piper and Jason had _never _been dating. It was all just a trick, created by a dare, created by Annabeth. Of course, however, there were still some people who refused to believe it—namely _Annabeth_—and they were starting to seriously piss Piper off.

She marched into the lobby of the condo complex and made no form of contact with anyone—she was _seriously _not in the mood for any bullshit. Sara the reception lady was giving her a weird look, but Piper ignored her, too, walking into the elevator and closing the door before anyone could join her.

It was only when she got to her room did she realize that she didn't have her key with her, and she groaned, banging on the door.

"Jane!" Piper yelled, pounding on the wood. "Let me in!"

After a few seconds, the door flew open to reveal Jane. Piper's fist wavered in midair, and Jane held up something—Piper's key. "You left it on the counter this morning," she said.

"I noticed," Piper deadpanned, pushing past Jane and dropping her backpack to the hardwood floor with a loud _thud_.

"Piper, the neighbors," Jane scolded, pointing downward. Piper rolled her eyes. She didn't give a damn about the people living below her. They'd probably endured worse than the fall of a backpack, anyway.

"Blah," was all Piper said as she climbed onto one of the stools, immediately dropping her head onto the marble counter.

"Still haven't talked to Jason?" Piper looked up slightly. Jane was giving her a stare and a raised eyebrow, pulling Piper's favorite mug out from the cabinets. It was a white one with a gold handle, decorated with a golden P. Her father had gotten it for her when he was in Los Angeles.

"No." Piper sighed. "And Annabeth is still being really stubborn, so I don't think she's getting out of her little funk any time soon." She quirked an eyebrow. "What are you making?"

"Hot chocolate," Jane told her. She turned around briefly and gave her a smile before turning back to the drawers and pulling out a Swiss Miss packet. "With marshmallows. Your favorite."

Piper smiled gratefully, though Jane couldn't see it. "Thanks." She paused. "Anyway, I _really _want to talk to Jason, because things are really awkward right now and I want to fix it, but ... uh, things are really awkward right now."

"I think you should talk to him," Jane said as she grabbed the milk and poured a bit into the mug. "I don't think he'll hate you for talking to him. He likes you, right?"

Piper contemplated on that for a bit. "Depends on which kind of _like_ you mean." She flushed.

"As a friend," Jane clarified, but Piper could see from the way her body was moving that she was stifling laughter.

"As a friend, yeah." Piper scratched the back of her neck. "I think so, anyway," she added hastily.

Jane let out a small laugh then. She placed the jug of milk back in the fridge and turned to Piper. "Do _you _like him?" She asked, the smallest hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"Yeah," Piper admitted shyly. She gulped. "Yeah. I do. Both ways."

Jane's smile widened, and Piper got the feeling that she was thinking about how cute that was. "Then you should talk to him," she said, returning her attention to the hot chocolate. She placed the milk cup in the microwave. "It shouldn't harm your relationship."

"Anymore that it already has," Piper muttered, flicking a piece of dirt off the countertop.

"Tell you what," Jane continued. "You talk to him _tomorrow_."

Piper almost choked on her own spit. "_Tomorrow_?" She repeated. "As in, tomorrow? Like, the day after today?"

"Oh, no," Jane said dryly, taking the cup out of the microwave. She ripped open the packet and dumped it into the mug, following it up with the milk. "I meant yesterday. You should talk to him yesterday."

"Sorry," Piper said, flustered. "It's just ... I don't know. I'm a little scared, to be honest. What if he hates me?"

"_Piper_," Jane said in an exasperated tone as she mixed the hot chocolate with a small spoon. "Like I said. I'm _pretty _sure that he won't hate you for talking to him."

"But he might hate me for ruining everything," Piper pointed out, burying her head in her hands. The entire thing was making her pretty frustrated, but it was definitely possible. They could have kept kissing, and they probably would have enjoyed it. But then Piper pulled away and scared him or whatever, and poof, he was gone.

"He won't." Jane slid the cup over to her, reaching out and squeezing her hand gently. "I promise."

* * *

><p>The next day at school, Piper found that Annabeth was still pretty depressed. Which meant that Piper was still pretty pissed off.<p>

She slid into her usual seat, next to Jason's empty one. "Come on, Annabeth. Snap out of it."

"I can't," Annabeth moaned from behind a tissue. She'd sat down next to Percy, who ran his hand up and down her back. "It's impossible. I have died."

"Honestly?" Reyna said, showing up behind Piper and sitting down on the other side of her. (Jason's seat was still empty.) "Even I'm not that sad about it. And I came _up_ with Operation Jasper."

Piper raised an eyebrow, reaching over and stealing a curly fry from Leo's plate. "Really?" She asked, genuinely surprised. Reyna had always seemed just as passionate about it as Annabeth.

"I'm fine, honestly." Reyna shrugged. "I mean, yeah, I'm kinda disappointed, but not like ..." She gestured toward Annabeth. "_That._"

"You wouldn't understand," Annabeth said miserably. She went and smashed her face against the table, only narrowly missing her macaroni and cheese because Percy managed to pull it away just in time.

He stroked her hair, looking up at the rest of them with wide eyes. "You know," he began, glancing down at Annabeth and then back at the rest of them, "when I asked her to be my girlfriend, I did _not_ sign up for this."

Annabeth elbowed him hard in the gut. He winced.

"Kidding, babe," he said, inhaling a sharp breath. "I love you."

"Still haven't talked to him, Beauty Queen?" Leo asked. He launched a fry into the air, and Piper easily caught it in her mouth.

"Not yet," she said between chews. She swallowed and gave Leo a glare. "Don't call me that."

Leo raised his hands. "Hey, I said I'd stop calling you that when you stopped being beautiful. And I have a girlfriend, and you have an almost-boyfriendish, but you're still kinda hot."

"Once upon a time," Annabeth said, her voice muffled by the table. "I could have shipped Liper. I did ship Liper. But then Liper died. And Jasper came out of the depths and rose above every other ship. But then that died too. And I died with it." She let out a sob, her body shaking. Percy awkwardly patted her head.

"Percy, you unromantic little shit," Piper whisper-yelled. "Comfort her!"

"I haven't had to deal with this before. I have no idea what I'm doing."

Piper rolled her eyes, taking another fry from Leo and leaning back in her chair. "You're hopeless," she drawled, sending him a smirk. "Hard to believe that she ever fell in love with you."

"I'm hurt, McLean."

"You're welcome," Piper said, flashing him pearly teeth and a thumbs up.

Someone tapped Piper on the shoulder, and she whipped around, ready to either glare or greet the person. But who she saw surprised her, and she ended up doing neither.

"J-Jason?" She stuttered, wide-eyed, twisting around in her chair so that she was facing him completely. There was movement behind her, which must have meant that Annabeth had noticed.

Jason gave Piper a small wave and a gentle smile, his gaze flickering between her and the rest of the table. "Hey, Piper." He paused, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Can I, uh, talk to you for a sec?"

"Um." Piper turned around again, looking at everyone else. Reyna nudged her. Leo wiggled his eyebrows, and Annabeth's eyes were the brightest they'd been in the past few days. "Um, sure." Piper awkwardly stumbled out of her chair, tripping on her untied shoelace, and Jason caught her with a quiet laugh.

"Careful," he said. "Didn't anyone ever teach you how to tie your shoes?"

Piper glanced up at him, straightening her posture. A smile was tugging at the corner of his lips, amusement sparkling in his sky blue eyes. "No," Piper joked, smirking. "Never considered it."

"Maybe I should teach you, then." Jason's smile widened, and he took her hand hesitantly, as if he thought that she would pull back again. A wave of guilt washed through her, and she bit her lip as she gripped his hand tighter. She wasn't running away from this.

Jason—after forcing her to tie her shoe—led her away from the table, at which Annabeth's breathing was getting heavier and heavier and Leo was whistling. Piper kept looking at Jason, but he just smiled, not saying a word until they reached F-5.

The room was empty, sunlight streaming through the open windows. Piper sat down on one of the desks, and Jason sat on the one directly across the aisle, swinging his legs like a little child.

"So," he began firmly. "How have you been?"

"Good," Piper responded, letting out a shaky laugh at the sheer awkwardness of the situation. "What about you? Who have you been hanging out with?"

"People from student council." He stayed quiet for a while, staring down at his hands, which were resting in his lap. "Listen, Piper, this doesn't have to be awkward."

Piper exhaled, letting out a low whistle. "Too late. Afraid it already is."

"I guess you're right," Jason said, with a light chuckle. Piper missed that laugh. He did that whenever she did something stupid. "But, um. About that night."

"The kiss," Piper said immediately, faking interest in her dirty sneakers. "Yeah. Sorry about that." She looked up again, and Jason was staring at her, his eyebrows scrunched together.

"Why are you sorry?" He asked, just above a whisper. He scooted closer to the edge of the desk. To Piper.

"Because I fucked everything up." Piper placed her elbows on her knees, leaning into her hands.

"You didn't."

"I did," Piper insisted. "I know I did. And you know that I did. I pulled back first. I know you're mad, Jason. You don't have to hide it."

"Piper," Jason said, gently. She looked up, slowly, and he leaned across the aisle, placing a hand on her chin and forcing her to look at him. "Listen to me. I'm not mad at you. It wasn't your fault."

"You said that you didn't want the dance to mess up our relationship," Piper continued, focusing her attention on the textbooks behind Jason. "Whatever relationship we had. But it did. Because I pulled back."

"It wasn't your fault," Jason said again, and Piper winced at his tone. Angry, almost. "You didn't do anything wrong, Piper. I kissed you first. I forced you to fake-date me." He let out an agitated sigh, running his hand through his blonde hair. "If it's anyone fault, it's mine."

Piper didn't want to argue with him. That would make things worse. "I'm sorry. For both of us."

Jason cleared his throat. "Yeah," he said awkwardly, staring at her with a blank expression. "Me too."

Piper nodded, and she looked at the floor. The two of them fell into a silence—not the comfortable kind, but the awkward one that made Piper want to repeatedly bash her head into a table. She wanted to believe him. It wasn't her fault. But it was hard.

"I guess I'm a little mad."

Piper's head snapped up, her heart dropping like a stone. He was mad at her, and it hurt. A lot more than she'd like to admit.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Jason cut her off, noticing her horrified expression. "Not at you," he clarified, with a hint of a smile. "At myself." He stood up from the desk, taking a step toward her.

Piper softened immediately. "Why?" She asked shakily, slowly. Jason took another step. His face was a lot closer to hers than she was used to.

"For not doing this sooner."

And then he did it again—cupped her face and kissed her. But this time, it was real. And this time, she didn't pull back.

Piper reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. He trailed his hands down her bare arms, finally settling them on her waist, and he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, just as he'd done the first time.

Piper realized two things in that moment. One: Jason was a better kisser than Leo, but that was saying heaps. It wasn't like Leo was a bad kisser, or Piper only _cared _about kissing, but Jason was just ... well, a better kisser. It was simple. Maybe it was because he'd already kissed someone before Piper. Unlike Leo.

Two: Piper may or may not have unintentionally fallen in love with Jason Grace.

They made the mutual agreement to pull back, and Piper rested her forehead against his, breathing heavily.

"Technically," she said breathlessly, "you've already done it once."

"Yeah, well, that wasn't real." He smiled at her. "And this sure as hell was."

Piper laughed—loud and clear, because she was too happy to care. She tightened her grip on his neck, leaning into him and placing her head on his shoulder. "Good," she whispered into his ear. He shivered.

"I guess this thing—'Operation Jasper,' Reyna called it—was a success, then?" Jason paused. "_For real_?"

"Oh," Piper said softly, going in for another kiss. "Definitely."

* * *

><p><strong>helplessly rushed but also helplessly fluffy ;)<strong>

**but bwahahaha they don't get their happy ending yet. im evil fear me.**

**anyway, i know the update is later than you've been used to, but i got out of soccer camp on friday—i lost the 'world cup' to mainly two kids, one of which was three years younger than me. (and the other one was one year younger than me, which wasn't as bad, but i'll be seeing him in middle school this coming year so if he starts bragging i effing swear)**

**i think i can get in quicker updates now, but i will be going to reno for two nights or something next week, so we'll seeeeeeeeee**


	28. Chapter 28

Annabeth decided to stop saying that certain days were the best days of her life. She'd done that pretty often, but something always ended up beating it, so she came to the universal consensus that any day in which something good with her ships happened was a good day.

Piper and Jason had come back from their little talk with bright smiles and intertwined fingers. Annabeth almost died right then and there, but she held herself together and opted for screaming instead, which effectively drew some attention. But then Reyna joined in, and people decided to just ignore one of their student body presidents shrieking—alongside one of the most popular seniors in school—at the other student body president and his new girlfriend.

"You two look happy," Piper teased, sitting back down in her chair. Jason took his seat next to her, easily slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, can you guys do me a favor?"

Annabeth momentarily paused her screaming. "Yes." She went back to screaming.

"Shut up."

Reyna closed her mouth, breathing heavily as she beamed at the couple. Annabeth, on the other hand, clamped a hand over her mouth and screamed into it. It was safe to say that the amount of stares had died down by a lot. But there were still a few.

What a great reputation to have in her senior year. The overly obsessed fangirl who screamed whenever her "Oversized Toilet Paper" did something cute. An idea popped into her mind, and she stopped screaming.

"Guys," she said excitedly. "I've got my senior quote."

"And what would that be?" Jason asked, playing with Piper's hair.

Annabeth took a deep breath and straightened, briefly closing her eyes. "Hurt my Oversized Toilet Paper," she said in her deepest voice, narrowing her eyes, "and I will hurt you."

Leo nodded in approval, giving her a thumbs up. Hazel knit her eyebrows.

"Oversized Toilet Paper?" She asked.

"That was all Piper," Annabeth replied, gesturing to said girl.

Piper flushed. "That was one time!" She insisted. "It's not my fault that I don't speak fangirl."

"I happen to be fluent in fangirl," Annabeth said. "Let's compromise. You teach me French, and I teach you fangirl."

Piper winked, clicking her tongue. "It's a deal, Chase."

"I'd love to see that," Jason said, looking down at Piper, who was leaning into him. "Now I'm just waiting for the day when you come up to me and start blabbing about your own Oversized Toilet Paper."

"Oh, shut up."

"Maybe Oversized Toilet Paper is a thing," Percy muttered. "Or maybe we can make it a thing. Excessively large rolls of toilet paper. How hard can that be?"

"Ooh!" Annabeth exclaimed. "If we're doing that, I'm taking a bit and putting it in my scrapbook."

"Scrapbook?" Piper said, taking another fry from Leo. (Two, actually. She gave one to Jason.)

"Of course." Annabeth paused. "Speaking of which, I need some help, because I'm a little torn. Should I throw out my Liper scrapbook, or should I keep it, just in case I'm in a particularly Liper mood?"

Piper choked on her—Leo's, technically—fry. Leo spit out his water, and it landed on poor Frank, who gingerly wiped it away. "You had a scrapbook?" They demanded in unison, looking at each other and then back at Annabeth.

"Yeah," Annabeth said nonchalantly. "I did. Very nice shade of red. And I have the cutest pictures. Maybe I should keep it. Gives me a good sense of nostalgia when I need it."

"All right, hold up." Leo gave her a look. "Let me get this straight. You made a scrapbook."

"I do believe that's what I just said," Annabeth deadpanned.

"Okay, I get that Beauty Queen and I made a pretty cute couple, but a scrapbook? Are you serious? That's just freaky."

"She's mine now," Jason said, wrapping his arms around Piper's neck from behind and placing his chin on the top of her head. "We're a cuter couple than you two ever were."

Leo stuck his tongue out at him. "Whatever. I've got Callie."

Annabeth whipped out her phone and took a picture of Jason and Piper. It was a glorious photo. Definitely a keeper.

"Did you just take a picture of us?" Piper asked, quirking an eyebrow, but she made no effort to get out of Jason's grip.

"Mmhmm," Annabeth replied brightly, slipping her phone back into her bag. "Very cute. That one's going in the scrapbook."

"You already have a scrapbook for them?" Reyna said, her eyebrows raising to her hairline. "They just got together. A few minutes ago."

"No," Annabeth said. "I mean, I have an idea already. And in my defense, I thought they were dating a week ago." She glared at them, and Jason shrugged.

"You're just gullible," he said, smirking at her.

"I don't really think you should make another scrapbook," Reyna warned. "I have a feeling that things will get out of hand."

"They're already out of hand," Annabeth said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, but." Reyna paused to gather her thoughts. "I mean, when you grow up, your house will be sorely decorated with pictures of Jason and Piper, and your kids will be named Jason and Piper—"

"Oh, they sure as hell won't," Percy exclaimed. Annabeth froze.

"Are you implying," she began quietly, her eyes widening with each word, "that you're going to be the father of my children?"

Percy blushed, realizing what he'd just said, and he faked interest in his cheeseburger. "No," he murmured.

Annabeth let out a nervous laugh, wrapping her arms around him. "I wouldn't mind," she said shyly, leaning her head against his chest.

"AHA!" Piper shouted. She jumped out of her chair—and out of a surprised Jason's grip—and pointed at Annabeth with her phone. "Picture! That's going in the scrapbook!"

"You have a scrapbook?" Annabeth asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No," Piper replied cheerily, giving her a cheeky smile. "But I'd gladly make one." She wagged her phone. "I've got a picture and a quote to go along with it."

Annabeth blushed. Jason and Leo gave Piper simultaneous high fives.

"Okay, fine," Annabeth said, raising her hands in surrender. "I won't make a scrapbook. But I can't guarantee that I won't make a photo album."

Reyna shrugged. "Mine's already in the making."

Jason looked horrified. Piper looked like she couldn't care less.

"You're my ex-girlfriend," he said, pointing at Reyna. "_You're my ex-girlfriend_, and you have a photo album of me and my new girlfriend, even though we just started dating? Okay. That's freaky."

"Not as freaky as a scrapbook," Leo muttered.

"Why do you think I broke up with you, you dolt?" Reyna rolled her eyes. "_I know you like her. I can see it_. You're so ignorant. Towards yourself, too. Not even smart enough to figure out your own feelings."

Jason frowned. Piper pinched his cheek. "Aw, you liked me before the dare? That's cute." Jason muttered something incoherent, his cheeks flaring with color, and Annabeth pointed an accusing finger at her.

"So did you."

"Ah, yes. I _did _like myself. Very much, actually."

Annabeth gave her a look. "You know what I mean."

"I didn't like Jason, actually," Piper pointed out matter-of-factly, giving Jason an apologizing look. He shrugged. "Because I was completely and utterly in love with this dork over here." She poked Leo's arm, who, in turn, brought her into a tight hug.

"That is true," Leo said with a nod, petting Piper's hair. Piper was laughing—at Leo's actions or Jason's expression, Annabeth wasn't really sure. Jason was clearly jealous, but there wasn't really a reason to be, especially considering the fact that one: Leo had a girlfriend, two: so did _Jason_, and it was Piper, and three: Leo and Piper had a pure sibling relationship.

"Judge me and my photo albums all you guys want," Annabeth said, sending everyone at the table a pointed look, "but I know for a fact that _none _of you can deny how adorable of a couple Jason and Piper are." Piper still looked unfazed, but Jason went red again.

"That is _also _true," Leo said, releasing Piper and shoving her into Jason, who caught her in a tight embrace. Piper grabbed the side of his face and pressed a kiss to his cheek, and he squinted, smiling cheekily.

Everyone—_everyone _meaning the people at the table—started cheering, and people were starting to look at them funny again.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Annabeth. I'm going to be your temporary ... psychologist, maybe? Is that the word? Or maybe therapist." Reyna waved her hand, clearly frustrated. "Never mind. I'm just going to help you."<p>

Annabeth frowned, throwing an empty candy wrapper at Reyna from her spot on her bed. Reyna was sprawled out on the carpeted floor, staring at Annabeth with wide eyes. "I don't need help," Annabeth said stubbornly. "I already agreed that I wouldn't make a scrapbook. Just a photo album. And if you heckle me for that, that's hypocritical, because even you admitted that you have a photo album."

"I did," Reyna agreed. "But, for one thing, at least I never _had _a scrapbook in the first place. And I'm not the one going to college next year, am I?"

"I don't know. Are you?"

Reyna rolled her eyes. "That's not the point. You need to get focused, because I know for a fact that you're going to one of those Ivy League schools—"

"Haven't heard back yet," Annabeth interrupted in a deadpan tone, twirling a blonde curl around her finger and releasing it.

"And you're going to succeed," Reyna continued, shooting Annabeth a sharp look, "but only if you focus on your work and not on, uh, couples. Because, I swear on my life, one day, you're going to walk into class, and you're going to get your paper back, and there's going to be a big fat _F _on it because instead of writing an essay on the American Revolution, you gushed about Jason Grace and Piper McLean."

Annabeth was offended. "I'm not _that _obsessed."

"You'd be surprised."

"Look," Annabeth said, "I'm not going to do that. I mean, it's not like Jason and Piper are going to college with me, are they? Which means that it's probably going to wear off eventually. Relax."

"That's true." Reyna paused. "_But_, we do have the Sadie Hawkins dance next week, so you're going to need to get on track for that."

Annabeth's eyes widened. "Shit, really?" She exclaimed. "But we just had the Valentine's Day dance!"

"I know," Reyna said. She shrugged, picking at a crumb stuck to the carpet. "We really need to plan these better. Now, listen. I know for sure that Piper is going to ask Jason to the dance. That much is obvious. So you have to keep your shit together."

"_That_," Annabeth began, pointing a finger at Reyna, "will be difficult."

Reyna stood up and plopped herself down onto the bed, next to Annabeth. She placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know it will," she said. "But you have to get through it. Am I clear?"

"You're clear, ma'am." Annabeth straightened her posture and saluted her.

"Good." Reyna's hardened expression eased into a smile, and she leaned her head on Annabeth's shoulder. "So now, since you've been such an obedient little child—"

"I'm older than you," Annabeth said bluntly. Reyna ignored her.

"I'd like to take you out on a celebratory stalker run." Annabeth's eyes widened, and she turned to face Reyna, who was just nodding her head. "That's right. We're going to stalk Jason and Piper together."

* * *

><p>"Okay. Hold on." Piper crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows at the two girls standing in front of her. "So, you two followed us all the way here? And we didn't even know?"<p>

"That is _exactly _what happened," Annabeth said casually.

"W—what," Jason spluttered, waving his hands around. "How did you even figure out where we _were_?"

"Well, if I do recall," Reyna began, pulling out her phone. She started to scroll through her text messages. "I asked you if we could work on the Sadie Hawkins dance, and you said no, because you and Piper were going out for lunch at McDonald's. And so here we are. At McDonald's. Going out for lunch."

Jason and Piper blinked.

"A shipper will use all of their available resources," Reyna said calmly. Annabeth gave her a high five.

"You guys are creepy." Piper shook her head, the smallest hint of a smile on her face. "So, what do you want from us? What do you want _so badly _that you stalked us all the way to McDonald's?"

"What do you _think_?" Annabeth asked, as if it should be obvious. She waved her hand in a _go on _motion. Realization dawned on Piper's face, and she rolled her eyes.

"Are you serious?" She deadpanned.

"Very serious," Reyna said. She smiled. Piper rolled her eyes again, in a _I can't believe I'm doing this _gesture, and then she stood on her tiptoes—the height difference between them was so adorable—and cupped Jason's face, pressing her lips to his. His eyes widened, but he reacted almost immediately after, placing his hands on her waist and leaning down so that she could return to her normal height.

Reyna and Annabeth both snapped way more pictures than they'd like to admit. (Annabeth got around fourteen, just in case. Reyna refused to tell.)

Piper pulled back, breathing heavily. Jason slipped an arm around her waist. "You happy?" She asked.

"Very," Annabeth replied, beaming. She gave them a thumbs up and skipped out of the restaurant, her arm linked with Reyna's.

* * *

><p><strong>I suck.<strong>

**I'm so sorry xD I was just in a little funk where I literally couldn't do _anything_. It's not that I didn't want to do anything, because I wanted to do a lot of things. But I just couldn't bring myself to do anything. And when I could, I ended up getting distracted by the stupidest things. (I kept tracing my fingers over the words on the front cover of the Speak Now album. They felt very nice.)**

**I'm still a little out of it, which is why this chapter is very short and isn't nearly as good as some of the others, but it'll get better. At some point.**

**Also, if I do end up making a sequel, I promise that the characters will be as in character as possible. Especially Annabeth, even though she won't be in the story as much. But a warning—I've never been really good with the simple concept of _character_. I like characters, and I like creating characters, but whenever I try to write them, they all end up being the same. I'm still pretty young—as most of you know—and I haven't really been taught that much when it comes to, well, writing, so I'm just winging it here. :D**

**While I'm (kinda) on the subject of Annabeth, I'd like some feedback on which Percabeth story to start first! They're all pretty much the same concept (sorta), but I'll point out the difference.**

**1. Watch Me ~ Annabeth Chase thinks that it's funny, really, the fact that one game of Truth or Dare can completely turn her life upside down. Because, honestly—how the hell is she supposed to build up the courage to ask out Percy Jackson? (all in annabeth's pov - kind of similar to what happened in this story, but i think that this will be a little more on the shorter side, since it's pretty much annabeth trying to ask him out. xD)**

**2. Happiness Is ~ Percy Jackson is the most popular guy in school. And that makes him happy. It's not like he's a bully or anything, though—he's a good guy, which makes him even more appreciated, which makes him even happier. And it's only when the blonde-haired genius Annabeth Chase walks into his life that he starts to question what happiness really means to him. (this one is percy's pov, and it's just centered on the growing relationship between them, so.)**

**3. The Percy Jackson Project ~ ****It's the start of senior year for Annabeth Chase, and she's determined to keep her title as the smartest girl in school. But she certainly wasn't expecting an extra project, especially not one that included a boy. She isn't allowed to fall in love. It'll bring her down. But unfortunately for her, trying to get Percy Jackson out of her mind could be the only thing she's ever failed. (annabeth's pov again, and this starts off like the original percabeth relationship - they kinda hate each other. and then she starts to like him, which frustrates her, because she doesn't want a boy to come in the way of her success. so that's that.)**

**I know that this A/N took up a lot of the chapter, and I'm really sorry. :( But I just needed some feedback, and you guys are always there to help :) So I'll see you guys next time! Next chapter is the Sadie Hawkins dance! Yay!**


	29. Chapter 29

"You suck."

Piper stuck her tongue out at Jason, picking up the bag of groceries in her lap and stepping out of the car. "Don't be mean," she cooed. "I was just exploring."

"Exploring?" Jason let out α bitter laugh. "Oh, yeah. Exploring. You explored the store seven times. Each time without telling me."

"Hey," Piper said, stepping back from the door and letting Jason unlock it. "In my defense, Walmart is a pretty interesting store."

"I bet that poster of Chris Pratt I found you staring at was pretty damn interesting."

Piper glanced over at Jason, an amused smile lighting up her pretty features. "Are you jealous?" She teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

"No," Jason muttered. He closed the door behind them, sulking over to the kitchen and flipping on the lights. Piper came in next to him, dumping the grocery bag on the counter.

"Why do you care so much?" She asked.

"I don't." Jason paused, as he began to take off his jacket. "I mean, I do. I'm just a little scared, Piper, that something like the whole Dylan incident will happen again."

"What are you going to do? Put a leash on me?"

Jason paused, his jacket hanging from the lower halves of his arms, frozen mid-removal. A grin slowly started to make its way onto his face, and Piper's eyes widened. She shook her head, backing away from him.

"Oh, _no_," she warned. "Jason Grace, don't you dare—"

Jason lunged at her, and she screamed, accidentally walking into the wall in her rush. She turned and sprinted out of the kitchen, Jason following close behind her.

He was faster than her—he'd always been faster than her. His arms slipped around her waist, pulling her against him, and she shrieked, wiggling around in a bad attempt to free herself.

"Don't fight it, princess," Jason said, tightening his grip. Piper stopped struggling, slowly but surely, leaning back into hm.

"Don't call me princess," she replied, breathing heavily. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest.

"Would you prefer Beauty Queen?" He quipped, burying his nose in her mahogany hair. Piper sighed, turning around and gently placing her hands on either side of his face. She pressed her forehead against his. Her breath tickled his face.

"Maybe," she whispered. There was a small smile on her face as she pecked him on the lips.

"All right then, Beauty Queen."

"But don't use it excessively, because that will piss me off." Another peck. "Also, before I forget—how would you like to accompany me to the Sadie Hawkins dance?"

Jason grinned, and he went in for another kiss. "I thought you'd never ask," he whispered, pressing the side of his cheek against her ear. She pulled his head back and kissed him again—longer this time—trailing her hands down his face and keeping them on his neck. Jason leaned his head forward, causing Piper to arch her back.

"Ooh! Another picture! Perfect."

They broke apart. The lights—Jason realized that the living room had been completely dark beforehand—had been turned on, and Thalia stood a few feet away from them, her nose wrinkled in disgust. Annabeth was behind her, beaming like a little child who's just gotten their ice cream. She was still holding her phone up, as if she were taking endless pictures. (She could have been, though. Jason couldn't see her thumb.)

"Okay, you guys are cute, but _please_ no kissing in my house." Thalia strode past Jason and flicked him in the forehead.

"Your house?" Jason scoffed, slinging an arm around Piper's small frame. "It's _totally_ your house. Because it's not like I got a babysitting job in the summer of my freshman year to pay off over half of the rent."

"Stop being such a sarcastic little shit," Piper joked, wrapping her own arms around arms around Jason and squishing her cheek against his chest.

"Those kids were terrible," Jason continued, shaking his head. "I broke an arm."

Piper laughed. Jason could feel her body shaking against his own.

"So, Piper," Annabeth said, jumping onto the couch and making herself comfortable. (Literally, though—she spread her limbs across the entire thing, knocking off a few pillows.) "What are you wearing to the Sadie Hawkins dance?"

Piper groaned. "I've got another dress to wear," she grunted, knitting her eyebrows. "I'm not really sure where Jane finds all of the time to go shopping, but I practically have a new wardrobe now ..."

"What color?" Annabeth asked, not moving an inch from her spot. Jason felt obligated to pick up the pillows, but he was feeling pretty comfortable with Piper.

Piper frowned. "It's pink. Honestly, Jane was—_is_ really nice, but it's getting a little out of hand now."

"Aww, it's pink," Annabeth cooed. She gave Jason what looked like a glare, but it was kind of hard to tell when she was upside down. "You better wear a pink tie."

"You don't have to," Piper said. Jason smiled at her.

"Yes, you do," Annabeth insisted, finally sitting up. "You'll be matching. And it's adorable. And a good photo op."

"Annabeth, dear," Piper quipped, releasing her grip on Jason and waltzing over to her. She picked up the pillows before sitting down next to Annabeth, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. "You need mental help."

Annabeth nodded, placing a hand on her heart. "I know," she said sincerely.

"Hey." Jason frowned, holding out his arms. "Don't I get a hug?"

Piper rolled her eyes. "You just got one," she said, but the corners of her lips were twitching upward into a smile. Jason just wiggled his eyebrows, waving his arms, and Piper stood up. She embraced him tightly, and Jason grinned at nothing in particular, placing his chin on the top of her head.

"Can I take a picture?" Annabeth asked.

"Go for it," Piper replied, her voice muffled by Jason's chest. "And send it to me, will you?"

* * *

><p>"Are we there yet?" Reyna whined. Jason's eyes flickered to the rear-view mirror—Annabeth and Reyna were sitting in the back, and the latter was looking especially impatient.<p>

"Not yet, honey," Jason joked, subconsciously straightening his pink tie. "A few minutes to go."

Reyna was silent for a few moments. "Just wondering, but are you sure that Piper is fine with this?" She asked. "I mean, you picking her up with, uh, two other girls in the backseat."

"Oh, she's fine with it. I've already her told her." Jason grinned, even though Reyna couldn't see it. "Unlike _some_ people who get pissed off if I ask them on a date to the movies, just because another girl invited me."

He looked in the mirror again, just in time to see Reyna roll her eyes. "Oh, come on," she said. "That was one time."

"One exaggerated time that caused the overdramatic fall of Jeyna," Jason retorted.

"I used to ship Jeyna," Annabeth whispered, staring out the window. "But everything changed when the fire nation attacked."

Reyna stared at her. "Why are you even here?"

Annabeth looked offended. "Percy's car is in the shop," she explained. "And my parents are forcing Matthew and Bobby to wash my car, because they want them to get a sense of the 'real world,' so." She shrugged. "Here I am."

"Where's Percy?" Reyna asked.

"With Leo, I think," Annabeth replied.

"Why couldn't Percy come in the car with us?"

"Because then there'd be no space for Piper," Jason said, patting the empty passenger set next to him.

"Unless she sat in your lap," Annabeth teased.

"If she sat on my lap, then we'd probably crash," Jason pointed out, jerking the steering wheel to the right for emphasis. "So you'd probably end up sitting on Percy's lap."

"You're impossible," Annabeth muttered.

"I know," Jason said brightly.

Within a few minutes, they'd arrived at Piper's condominium complex. The girls wanted to go with Jason, but he forced them to stay in the car. "If you do anything wrong," he warned, "I will personally climb into your rooms at night, see you sleeping, assume that you're dead, and bury you thirty feet underground."

Annabeth threw her hands up. "That makes no sense."

It was the same process as it'd always been—Jason walked into the lobby and said hi to Sara the reception lady. She already knew where he was going, but this time, she took the time to acknowledge that he was wearing the same thing he'd worn to the Valentine's Day dance. Except his tie was pink.

"Oh, yeah." He grinned nervously. "I don't really have an, uh, extensive wardrobe."

Sara just smiled at him, and he took the elevator up to Piper's floor, just as he always had. He knocked on the door and Jane answered it, just as _she_ always had.

"Jason!" She exclaimed. "How nice to see you here! I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Um, yeah, you were."

She gave him a blank expression for a few seconds. "Yeah, I was," she admitted hastily, shoving Jason into the condo.

"Er, Jane, I think that we should be going—"

"Oh, that's bull," Jane said, waving her hand. Jason blinked. "Just stay for a bit. It won't hurt you. Hot chocolate?"

"I really—"

"Jane," Piper called from wherever, and a wave of relief washed over Jason. Leave it to his girlfriend to save the day. "Leave him alone, we have to go."

"Sweetheart, I think you can stay a few moments," Jane insisted, pulling a mug out from the cabinets.

Piper appeared in the kitchen doorway, leaning against the frame with a raised eyebrow. "I'd love to, but another time. We should really be going."

"Fine," Jane mumbled, swapping the hot chocolate packet for coffee powder. "I'll just make my own drink."

Piper grinned at Jason. She walked over to him and adjusted his hot pink tie. "You look adorable," she commented, pressing her lips to his in a sweet kiss.

When she pulled back, Jason just stared at her. Her dress was knee-length, salmon pink with white detailing, and her hair—curled, like it always was for fancy occasions—was pulled up into a fancy updo, which wasn't as usual. Looking down at her feet, Jason realized that she was wearing gray heels, which explained why she was almost his height. (Not quite there yet, though.)

"Cat got your tongue?" Piper teased, placing her hands on her hips.

"Why didn't you tell me that your dress was salmon pink?" Jason asked in a mock-falsetto tone. "Now we don't match."

Piper threw her head back and laughed, reaching down and intertwining her fingers with his. Jane pulled a face.

"If you guys are going," she said, "then go already."

Piper shrugged and pulled Jason out of the apartment, shutting the door behind them. They went back down to the lobby, said their goodbyes to Sara the reception lady, and went out to Jason's car.

"Oh, look at you!" Annabeth exclaimed immediately. "Fancy, aren't you?"

Piper subconsciously reached up and patted her bun. "You can say that," she said. "How about you and Reyna, with your fancy, abnormally dark-colored dresses?"

"It's not _that_ dark," Annabeth said with a scowl. And it really wasn't—he was wearing a short, sparkly gray dress. Reyna was in something almost identical, but hers was purple.

"Mine is," Reyna said casually, looking down at her dress.

"It is indeed." Piper buckled up. "Start the car, you doofus."

Jason knit his eyebrows, sticking the key into the ignition. "Car has been started, Mrs. Doofus."

"Did ... did you just ..." Piper stammered, as Jason pulled out of the parking lot. "Did you just call me Mrs. Doofus?"

"He just called her Mrs. Doofus," Annabeth whispered from the back. Reyna clapped.

"I did." Jason grinned at Piper. She opened and closed her mouth like a fish. When they reached a red light, Jason reached over and stole a quick kiss from her. There was a shutter from behind. Annabeth had taken another picture.

"You guys are going to be the death of me," Annabeth muttered. Piper laughed, pecking Jason's cheek as the light turned green again.

"Okay, I almost forgot to tell you," Piper said. Jason raised an eyebrow. "Leo's bringing Callie to the dance."

Annabeth snapped her fingers. "Caleo!"

"What?" Piper asked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, as if it should have been easy to understand. "It's a ship name," she explained. "I have ship names for everyone. Do you guys mind if I make a scrapbook for them?"

Piper raised her hands. "Go for it." Reyna just rolled her eyes, slapping her palm against her forehead.

They arrived at school a few minutes later, and Jason was honestly surprised to see the rest of their friends standing at the front of the gym. Frank and Hazel were talking with Percy, who looked unnaturally tense. Leo was standing hand in hand with a pretty—though, in Jason's opinion, not as pretty as Piper—girl. She must have been Callie. Jason noticed that she wasn't looking too great, either, but maybe it was just because of Leo's relentless blabbing.

Percy's expression immediately brightened when he saw Annabeth, and he completely abandoned Frank and Hazel, running over to her and tackling her with a hug.

Annabeth laughed, after he'd pulled back and given her a kiss. "What's up with you?" She asked. Percy's eyes flickered to Calypso, and he pulled them aside.

"I didn't know that Leo was dating _that_ Calypso," he whisper-yelled, gesturing toward her.

Reyna knit her eyebrows. "How many Calypsos do you know?" She asked. Piper waved her hand, as if to say _exactly_.

"What's so bad about Calypso?" Annabeth asked gently, placing a hand on Percy's arm.

He closed his eyes. "I dated her in sophomore year. Before you."

"Oh." Annabeth's smiled faltered. "Why did you break up with her?"

"Because ..." Percy hesitated. "Because of you. Calypso and I were dating when we—you and I—started the project, and then I hung out with you more and more, and Calypso and I just." He mimicked an explosion.

"Does she go to our school?" Jason asked.

"Of course not," Percy said, as if it were obvious.

"Well, sorry, I don't keep track of every single student in the school," Jason muttered. Piper snorted.

"You should," Percy said, and Jason realized that he'd heard him. "You're student body president."

"Co-student body president," Reyna corrected.

"Whatever." Percy shook his head. He pointed at Calypso and Leo. "That car ride was really awkward. It freaked me out."

Jason looked at Annabeth, expecting her to be angry. Whether it be because Percy left Calypso because of her, or just because Calypso, she was bound to show some kind of anger. But instead, she just smiled, grabbing Percy's hand.

"Don't worry about it," she murmured. "We'll be fine."

Percy looked at her gratefully, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek, pulling him away from the group.

"Well," Reyna said. "I'm a loner, so I'm just going to go talk with Frank and Hazel and hope that I don't third wheel them the entire dance." She shrugged and ran off, leaving Piper with Jason.

Jason looped his arm with hers. "Care to dance, Mrs. Doofus?" He asked playfully, grinning down at her.

"Why, Mr. Doofus." Piper smiled. "I'd love to."

* * *

><p><strong>And I still suck. XD<strong>

**First of all, it seems as if The Percy Jackson Project has won the thingy. :) I mean, I didn't get _that _many "votes," but there was only one person (I think) that voted for something other than TPJP, so. I've already started planning out the plot. :)**

**Second, this story has only ten more chapters to go! It's bittersweet. But I think I'm making that sequel. :D I should be done with this one by the end of the summer, and then I'll start TPJP, and the sequel to this story—Operation Senior Year—should be posted around September or something. K? :)**

**And finally, I meant to post this yesterday, but I went to a hotel (just a quick little vacation to visit some family members) and the internet wasn't working, so. Yeah.**


	30. Chapter 30

Piper stared at her ringing phone.

It would be a lie to say that a part of her didn't want to answer it. She did, really. She wanted to hear his voice for the first time in months. But at the same time, she was still angry at him. In fact, she'd never really stopped being angry at him. It was clear that he'd chosen his career over his own daughter.

Piper didn't answer it. A few minutes later, there was a voicemail from Tristan McLean.

The call was pushed to the back of her head, and Piper went on with the rest of her day. Breakfast, school. But she must have been a little out of it, because Jason kept glancing at her with furrowed eyebrows, his confused expression. Piper had always liked that expression. She thought it was adorable. He didn't say anything, though, until lunch, when his confusion turned to worry and he pulled her away from the table.

"What's wrong?" He asked gently, cupping her face with one hand. His thumb rubbed against her cheekbone.

"Nothing," she replied.

Jason gave her a look. "It's obviously not nothing," he said. "You were completely zoned out during social studies."

"Okay, there's something," Piper admitted, "but it's not wrong, really. Someone just tried to talk to me."

"Someone tried to—" Jason cut himself off. His eyes narrowed, and he immediately went into overprotective boyfriend mode, his bright eyes darting around their surroundings. "Who—"

"It's no one that you need to worry about," Piper assured him with a light laugh, placing her hand on top of his. She curled her fingers around his palm. "Just someone that I haven't talked to in a long time. I'm fine, I promise."

Jason still didn't look convinced, but he didn't question her further. Piper smiled at him, closing the small gap between their lips.

* * *

><p>After school, she decided to listen to the voicemail.<p>

_Hey, Pipes!_

Piper paused it. She'd always thought that Jason was the only person who ever called her Pipes, and it took her a long time to realize that her father was actually the first one to do it. Two seconds into the message and she was already cringing.

_So, I guess you're a little busy right now, but whenever you can, call me, okay? I need to talk to you. Bye. Love you._

Piper swallowed. "Love you," she scoffed, talking to no one in particular. Her finger hovered hesitantly over his name. Should she call hm? Or maybe she shouldn't. Just to show him what she felt.

Somewhere along the line of her deep thinking, Jane had walked in, and Piper had never noticed. "What's up with you?" She asked, effectively scaring Piper out of her wits.

"God, Jane, at least tell me that you're coming in next time," Piper snapped, recomposing herself.

"Well, sorry." Jane shrugged, leaning against the doorframe, but Piper could see the smile tugging at her lips. "You didn't answer my question, though. You were staring at your phone for a full minute and a half."

Piper was horrified. "How long have you been standing there?" She demanded.

"Long enough to know that you may or may not be going insane," Jane responded casually, with another shrug. "So, what's the problem?"

"My dad," Piper said immediately. She sighed. "He called me, and I didn't answer. So he left a voicemail. He said he wanted to talk."

"Then talk to him," Jane stated blunty, as if it should have been obvious. Piper knit her eyebrows—to her, it wasn't so obvious. She could only imagine herself blowing up over the phone.

But she gave in eventually, exhaling a long sigh. "Okay, fine. But get out of my room." Jane stepped back reluctantly, closing the door behind her, and Piper pressed her father's name.

Much to her surprise, he answered immediately. (It scared her a bit, too. He was unnaturally loud.)

"Pipes!" His voice rang through her phone, rather brightly. Piper blinked before answering.

"Hey, dad," she said cautiously, as if a simple greeting could hurt him. But it couldn't. And it _wouldn't_. She was just being paranoid. "So, you wanted to talk to me?"

"Oh, yeah. I just got another movie deal."

Piper's heart sank. _Another _movie deal meant that he was going to spend even more time away than he normally would have, what with interviews and photo shoots and everything. She knew that he'd just gotten off his little "tour" with Aphrodite, which explained why he'd been gone for so long, but ... another movie.

"Oh," she mumbled. And then it hit her—he sounded awfully _happy. _She was about to say something, but he beat her to it.

"It's going to be filmed in New York," he said firmly, excitedly, and Piper almost burst into tears.

Okay. Not _almost_. She _did _burst into tears. As much as she acted like she couldn't care less about her father, Piper really missed him. And the fact that he was shooting a movie in New York—where she _lived_—was probably one of the best things that had happened to her all year. (Aside from, well, Jason.)

Tristan laughed on the other end, but if he didn't sound close to tears, then Piper didn't know what did. "The set is in Manhattan," he confirmed. "Not too far from your school, if I do recall."

"Oh my _god_," Piper breathed, jumping up and down in her chair. "_Oh my god_, you're coming here! To New York! And you're going to film a movie! Oh, do you think you want to meet my friends? Maybe Jason. Maybe you should meet Jason. But I think maybe I should keep who you are a secret, because—"

"Hold on," he interrupted. "Who's Jason?"

Piper flushed, taking a deep breath. "Jason is my boyfriend," she said slowly, biting her lip. That was _definitely _a bit of a trigger for him, if anything was.

"Oh." He paused for a moment, and Piper caught her breath. "_Oh_. Is he a nice boy? Do you like him?"

Piper exhaled in relief, a grin spreading across her face. "He's a very nice boy, and I like him very much," she assured him. "And he likes me very much. I think. I can send a picture, if you'd like."

"No need," Tristan said brightly. "I'll just meet him when I come over! I also had a question ... would you be okay with me visiting your school?"

"I ..." Piper hesitated. "Listen, dad. I love you, really—" _Re__ally? _"—but I don't know about that, really. I mean, you know that I'm not really one for attention, and if everyone found out ..." She trailed off, swallowing thickly.

"Oh, it's fine," Tristan said. "Just wondering."

Piper quickly changed the subject. "So, um, when are you coming?"

"Couple of weeks."

Piper almost gagged on her own spit. "W-what?" She spluttered, almost falling straight off her bed. "A couple of weeks? That's like, really soon. I mean, of course it is, but—_gah_. How long have you known?"

"Ah, a few months," he said, and Piper could practically hear the amused smile in his voice. "Or more than a few, but ... for a long time. There we go. I've known for a while."

"Why didn't you _tell _me?" She demanded.

"Wanted it to be a surprise." There was some shuffling on the other end. "Hey, Pipes, I've gotta go. I'll see you in a couple of weeks, okay."

"Okay," Piper said shakily. She closed her eyes. "Okay," she repeated. "Bye. Love you."

"Love you more."

He hung up. Piper threw her phone down onto the bed without a care, leaning back into her pillows with a content sigh. Her father was coming to New York. To Manhattan. To her.

She was starting to _seriously _regret buying all of that random crap.

* * *

><p>For the rest of the week, Piper was unnaturally perky.<p>

Maybe perky was a bit of an understatement. She was a complete lunatic, majority of the time. In fact, someone could have gone straight up to her and called her drunk, and she would have agreed with them.

It kind of freaked out her friends, though. Seeing her this happy was probably pretty unusual—she was generally in a pretty good mood, but this was something that _no _one saw coming.

Jason was amused, though. He thought it was cute.

"I still don't understand," Percy said at lunch. He knit his eyebrows. "I mean, you look like you just had a tea party with unicorns. And ate rainbows."

"And got _high _on the rainbows," Leo added. Percy nodded.

"I'm just _really happy_," Piper sang, throwing out her arms and accidentally slapping Frank in the face. He yelped, and Hazel laughed at him. Piper's smile momentarily disappeared, a childish pout replacing it. "What, is there something wrong with a girl being happy?"

"Oh, no," Percy said. "Not at all. It's just. You're _really happy_."

She frowned further. "That's what I just said, silly," she said, before erupting into a fit of giggles. Jason suppressed a smile.

"What the hell was in those rainbows?" Leo muttered, with a shake of his head.

"Is this what I'm like when I'm talking about ships?" Annabeth asked. She stared at Piper in amazement, her gray eyes wide.

"I think you're worse," Percy admitted, biting his lip. Leo nodded his head rapidly, and the rest of the group burst into a chorus of _yeps _and _yeahs_. Except for Piper, who was just beaming at everyone.

Annabeth looked horrified. "Seriously?" She whispered. "That's freaky. Very freaky. I didn't think I was _that _insane." She paused, returning to her normal volume. "Then again, I did push Piper off an escalator."

"Mmhmm," Piper said, nodding her head. "You almost killed me. You are mean." Giggles burst out of her mouth again. She rocked side to side, tugging on one of her braids and twirling it around her finger, and almost fell right onto Jason.

"_Oops_," she said shrilly. Jason laughed. "Why are you laughing at me? You shouldn't be laughing at me. You are also mean. I don't like you."

If that hurt Jason, it didn't show. In fact, he smiled at her, his eyebrows raising in amusement. Piper scowled at him, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her head away from him.

"'Cuse us for a moment," she heard Jason's voice say, and suddenly, he'd grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the table. She was giggling again, without even realizing it, and Jason was still laughing at her.

"Okay," he said, plopping her down in front of a classroom. He grabbed her arms, staring into her eyes with his own. "You, my dear, have officially gone insane. What's up?"

"The ceiling," Piper exclaimed gleefully, looking up. The ceiling was very nice. It was brown. And very nice.

Jason rolled his eyes, but that smile was still on his face. "You know what I mean, Piper."

"I do not, actually." She beamed at him.

"If we knew why you were so happy," he began, with a light chuckle, "then maybe we wouldn't question you so much. Why are you so happy?"

Piper opened her mouth, about to retort in an excessively perky tone, but nothing came out. Jason raised an eyebrow. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"_That_," she said, opening her eyes and poking him in the chest as she returned to normal, "is something that I will _never _tell you, sir."

Jason grinned at her. He seemed at least the slightest bit relieved that she wasn't such a nutjob anymore. "Why not?" He whined, taking her hands. "I'm your _boyfriend_. We're supposed to tell each other everything, are we not?"

"Maybe." Piper smiled at him, looking down at her hands in his. "Boyfriend. I like that word."

He chuckled again. "You should. Because I've been your _boyfriend _for a while now. And I plan on being your _boyfriend _for a while longer."

"That's sweet." She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks as she leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek. "I'm still not telling you, though."

"_Aw_, come on," he drawled, pressing his forehead against hers. "Don't be a buzzkill."

"I'm _your _buzzkill," she joked.

"You are indeed, Mrs. Doofus," Jason replied. Piper pulled her face away from his to laugh, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He slipped his own around her waist, squishing her against him.

She smiled at him. "Well, Mr. Doofus," she said. "I'll have you know that I am _still _not telling you. But, you know what? I'm pretty sure that you're going to find out soon enough. Be patient, child."

"Fine." Jason exhaled a long, irritated sigh, and Piper laughed again, pulling him in for a quick kiss. Or what was _supposed _to be a quick kiss, but somewhere along the line, someone threw a paper airplane at them and told them to stop eating each other's faces.

The two of them pulled apart and blushed. Jason kept one arm around her waist as they started to make their way back to the cafeteria.

"Shut it, Hank!" He called back, to the boy who'd just thrown a paper airplane. Hank made a face, and Jason responded by blowing a very mature raspberry. Piper quirked an eyebrow.

"You know him?" She asked.

Jason grinned at her, spreading out his free arm. "I know _everyone_," he said. "I'm popular."

"Sure you are." Piper snorted. Jason frowned, and she just laughed again, snuggling into his chest.

There were still five minutes of lunch left when they got back, but majority of their friends were cleaning up. Percy's eyes widened when he saw Jason and Piper approaching, and he tugged on Annabeth's sleeve.

"Look," he whispered-yelled. "She's normal. I think."

Piper grinned at him, raising her arms. "I'm good," she declared. Leo fell onto the table.

"She's normal!" He exclaimed, glancing up at the ceiling. "Thank the heavens!"

"Idiot," Piper muttered, flicking her ex-boyfriend in the head. Leo looked offended, but he said nothing as Piper slid into her chair, Jason sitting down next to her.

"So," Annabeth said. "Are you going to tell us why you're so happy?"

"I am _not_." Piper pointed at her, casually shrugging her shoulders. "But, like I said to my good friend Jason over here—"

"Good friend? _Good friend_? I go through all that hell from Annabeth and you when you're high on rainbows and all I get is _good friend_?"

"You're all going to figure out eventually," Piper finished, rolling her eyes. She slapped Jason's chest but kissed him nonetheless, sending him her most dazzling smile. He flushed, which surprised her.

"Still head over heels for Beauty Queen?" Leo asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Piper frowned at the nickname.

Jason smiled, pulling Piper against him. "Always," he said, bringing her in for another kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay. Let me explain.<strong>

**First of all. I checked out Season 6 of Glee from the library before I left for New York. But I had to wait for a while, because it had just come out, and someone already had it. So when they got it in the library, I was still in New York. I barely managed to pick it up before they gave it to someone else, and then I didn't really start watching it until the week before it was due, and I tried to watch it while I was at that hotel, but it wasn't working, and so then I had to rush it. Which means most of my time was spent watching Glee. (Not that I was annoyed by that.)**

**And then my dad renewed it.**

**Which meant I had done all of that for nothing.**

**But it's fine. XD I'm kinda sad that it's finally over, you know? And, because it's July 13 ... RIP Cory Monteith. :( On this day, two years ago, he passed away. The ever-so-dorky quarterback will remain forever in our hearts. On a much happier note, I'd also like a wish a _very _happy birthday to my baby Jason Grace, on July 1st, and Annabeth Chase, our Wise Girl, on July 12th! I would have made fanfics for them, but ... I'll just do it next year. Whatever.**

**Anyway, I was also in a little slump, because I just couldn't _write _anything. So then I started the first chapter of TPJP, which got me on track. So now I have this chapter finished (obviously) as well as the first chapter of TPJP, and I've already started the second! Yay!**

**I also had to catch up with my YouTube subscriptions. Because there's so many of them. And I don't really know why.**

**I apologize, because this chapter was so short. The second half was a complete filler, because I only really needed the first half to move the story along. Next chapter is also a filler. But be warned ... the chapter after that is where the drama begins ... mwahaha. But it won't last very long, because, like I said, this story only has nine more chapters to go. Poor planning on my part. XD **

**And, guys. We hit 190 reviews. We're almost at 200. 120 follows too. I might cry. All of you are _amazing_, and I will acknowledge a few certain people at the end of this story ... see you soon! Byee! xx**

**(P.S. I may or may not writing a switch AU. You know, where Annabeth and Reyna are switched instead of Jason and Percy? Heehee. Piper is the seventh wheel for _most of it _... but guys i literally _cannot _write leyna)**


	31. Chapter 31

"I have gathered you here today to—"

"You sound really formal," Leo interrupted, causing Annabeth to shoot him a glare. "Like, what are you doing? Marrying two people? Who?" He picked up two teddy bears from Annabeth's bed, squishing them against each other. "Mr. and Mrs. Teddy Bear?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Leave my teddy bears alone," she commanded, pointing a finger at him. He shrugged and dropped them. "If some of you are observant, unlike Leo, then you know that Piper is the only one not here."

"Oh, so Jason and Piper are getting married?"

Jason's cheeks flared with color. "Well, _I'm _here," he mumbled. Leo looked at him, raising his eyebrows as if he'd just acknowledged that he was there. Annabeth had called everyone—meaning, the usual seven before Piper came along—and they were all squished in her bedroom.

"Well, as much as I'd like them to—"

"Please don't."

"Jason and Piper are unfortunately _not _getting married," Annabeth finished. "However, as we all know, she has been drastically affected by drugged rainbows."

Jason sighed. "She's fine," he insisted. "I already said that. Remember? She went back to normal. It took a while. But she went back to normal."

"That's what you _think_," Annabeth responded. She whipped out her phone, scrolling through her voicemails. "She called me yesterday, and I missed it. Left a voicemail, though. Listen to this."

She held out the phone and pressed the play button. Piper's voice filled the room ... except, it was a lot higher than usual. And Annabeth guessed that she hadn't edited it at all.

_ANNIE! Hi. Do you want to go to the mall later and look at the lobsters? I heard that Forever 21 actually has very nice lobsters! They're rainbow and they're also best friends with the narwhals in the Disney store! Call back when you can! Love, Pippa! _The message ended mid-giggle.

Jason blinked, staring at the phone. A smile slowly made its way across his face, and he started to laugh. "You do know," he said between gasps, "that she's kidding, right? I mean, it's obvious."

"She's not kidding," Annabeth stated, glaring at him. "I'm pretty sure that she's serious."

"Oh, really?" Jason had this annoying smirk, something that only appeared every once in a while. "Why don't you call her, then?"

Annabeth frowned further. "I will." She pressed Piper's name and held the phone to her ear, well aware of the rest of her friends staring at her. Percy was trying to stifle laughter, and Leo was giving Jason a high five.

Piper answered almost immediately. "_Annie_!" She exclaimed. Annabeth raised her eyebrows, and she grinned at Jason. But he looked unfazed—he was still smirking. "So glad you called back! About that trip to Forever 21, I think we get a discount on the entrance fee if we go in about ... eh, three minutes or so ... so we'd better get going—"

"There's an entrance fee?" Annabeth asked.

"Oh, of course," Piper said shrilly. "Bring your camera, too, we can take a picture with the king lobster. His name is Snowflake Sparkle. And he's a rainbow, too, but he's mostly orange. He looks like a sunset. Heehee. And then the narwhals, the narwhals are super great too, so we should see them too, but they're free. After that, we can go visit Safeway and go on the roller coasters—"

"Hold on." Annabeth let out a shaky laugh. "Are you okay?"

"I don't think you should be the one asking that question. Are _you _okay? Because apparently, you believe everything that I just said is true."

Annabeth's eyes widened. She groaned, slapping her hand against her forehead. "Are you _serious_?" She practically shouted, making Hazel, who was sitting next to her on the floor, flinch.

"I told you!" Jason said, shooting to his feet and pointing an accusing finger at Annabeth. She raised her hands in surrender.

"Was that Jason?" Piper asked immediately.

"Yeah." Annabeth paused, and she scowled as something came to mind. "Wait, was he in on this? I swear on my _life_, if he was in on this, I will personally murder both of you—"

Piper cut her off with a laugh. "_Annabeth_," she said. "Relax. He wasn't in on anything. Just thought I'd sneak in some really good improv practice. Tell Jason I love him, will you?"

"Jason, she said she loved you," Annabeth said calmly. Jason smiled.

"I love her too," he replied sincerely, his eyes twinkling. Percy and Leo nudged him in the ribs, and he shoved them away. Leo fell off the bed with flailing arms and landed on Hazel, who yelped.

"He said he loved you too," Annabeth said, ignoring Frank and his attempts to practically throw Leo back onto the bed.

"Great," Piper said brightly.

"You are a horrible friend."

"I know," Piper said, just as brightly. "Listen, I gotta go. But I'll see you at school, okay? Or maybe I'll see you in Forever 21 in three minutes. It's a 50% discount, in case you were wondering."

"Oh, shut _up_."

Piper hung up with a laugh, and Annabeth sighed, dropping her phone into her lap. Jason grinned victoriously.

"You shut up, too," Annabeth muttered.

"No thanks," Jason said. "See, she's not high. Those rainbows were perfectly fine. But I will admit that she's still really happy about whatever. And she's refusing to tell anyone. Even me."

"_Even _you?" Leo snorted, flipping his hair as well as he could. (It wasn't half bad, though, his hair had grown longer than any of the other boys in the group.) "Oh, please, Jason. She loves me more than you do."

"Does she now?" Jason inquired in a mock-innocent tone, raising an eyebrow. "Did she just say that she loved you?"

Leo scoffed. "She didn't _just _say it," he admitted. "But get off your high horse, Grace, because she said it at some point."

"Yeah. Four months ago."

"Boys, stop arguing," Annabeth scolded in her best mother tone as Leo stuck his tongue out. "You're being painfully immature."

"And you're being painfully mature," Leo pointed out.

"Whatever." Annabeth waved her hand. "Look, Piper is still really happy. And because of that, I'm really happy. But I don't know why she's so happy. And it's weird. So I'm going to figure out why she's so happy."

"I don't really get," Frank said, "why you care so much. Like, she's happy. That's cool. Let her be happy."

Annabeth shrugged. "You never know. Maybe it's because of a special someone." She glanced at Jason and let out two coughs, breathing out his name in between. He flushed immediately, shaking his head.

"I didn't _do _anything!" He cried. Annabeth clicked her tongue.

"Sure you didn't." She winked at him, and he groaned, falling back into her pile of pillows. "Anyway, I will be getting to the bottom of this. If you'd like to help me, then I'd be fine with that."

Reyna wrinkled her nose. "I think I'll pass on Operation Find Out Why Piper's Such A Perky Idiot."

"What is with you and operations?" Percy exclaimed. "It's like your entire life is an operation. How does your morning go? First, it's Operation Get Out Of Bed. And then Operation Brush Your Teeth. Unless you eat your breakfast before that, in which case it's Operation Eat Breakfast and _then _Operation Brush Your—"

"Percy!" Annabeth said, clearing her throat. "You can shut up now."

"Operation Shut Up has now been set into motion."

* * *

><p>Annabeth decided against calling it "Operation Find Out Why Piper's Such A Perky Idiot." It was a bit of an operation, sure. To find out why Piper was such a perky idiot. (Maybe she should have called it that.)<p>

She started with stalking her around school. Piper was getting pretty freaked out by it, because Annabeth was _literally _stalking her. Every time Piper went somewhere, Annabeth was there. But she never told her why. It was actually a little entertaining.

Piper didn't do anything out of the ordinary, so then Annabeth resorted to stalking all of her social media pages. She didn't have many, and the ones that she did have weren't particularly active, either, so that didn't help much.

There wasn't really much to do after that, so she just straight up searched her name on Google. Nothing about _her _came up. However, lot of things about Tristan McLean, the actor, came up. Annabeth figured that she was right—Tristan McLean was her dad. It just seemed like it. A movie star would probably too busy to hang out with their kid often.

Annabeth slumped in her chair, exhaling a tired sigh. Architectural Design wasn't even close to over, and while the class normally excited Annabeth, it was boring on that particular day. Just her luck.

The only thing she could really do then was think about how Piper had been acting over the course of the past few days. What had she done? She'd been hanging around with Jason a lot, which was normal. And during that phone call, she told him that she loved him, and he said the same thing.

He also blushed when Leo thought that they were getting married.

When the bell rang, Annabeth shot out of her chair. Her backpack hang crookedly from her elbow as she darted past her classmates and out into the hallway. Jason and Piper were standing next to Piper's locker. Kind of, anyway. Piper was shuffling through her locker, and Jason was leaning against the one next to it, smiling widely at her.

Annabeth slowed to a stop in front of them, breathing heavily. Piper shut her locker, turning to face her with an arched eyebrow, and Jason slung an arm around her shoulders.

"Are you okay?" Piper asked slowly.

"Oh, I'm fine," Annabeth replied. "But, I've found out why you're so happy!"

Piper raised her eyebrows, as if she were surprised. But she smiled, tilting her head. "Oh, really?" She asked, teasingly, and Annabeth figured that she thought that she didn't actually know.

"Yes, really," Annabeth said firmly. She turned to Jason, knitting her eyebrows. "I can't believe that you knew it all this time and never told me! Heck, you even said that she hadn't told you! I'm pretty sure you're the one who _told _her."

Jason blinked. He was silent for a moment, staring at her, until he finally decided to speak. "_What_?"

"Oh, don't hide it from me," Annabeth chided, wagging a finger at him. "I know that you proposed to her."

Piper's eyebrows rose even higher, and Jason just kept staring at her. Annabeth stared right back, her eyes flicking between the two, impatiently waiting for an answer. She knew that she was right.

But apparently, she _wasn't _right, because her answer was the two of them bursting into simultaneous laughter. Jason's cheeks were red again—whether it was from laughing so hard or because of the thought of marrying Piper, Annabeth wasn't really sure.

"Annabeth," Piper said, once she'd calmed down. She held out her left hand and wiggled her fingers in front of Annabeth's face. "Tell me. Do you see an engagement ring on _any_ of these fingers?"

Annabeth opened her mouth to speak, but her voice failed her. She blinked. "I didn't think about that ..." She muttered. How could she have missed that?

Jason snorted. "That's rare."

Annabeth shot him a glare, and he raised his hands, giving her a look. Piper laughed.

"You're something different, Chase," she said, smiling. "But, as you can tell, Jason did _not _propose to me. And he still doesn't know what it is. I'm not telling him, just as I'm not telling you." Her smile grew wider. "But you'll find out soon, okay?"

Annabeth crossed her arms, still glaring at Jason, who was trying his hardest to hold in his laughter. "_Fine_," she mumbled. Piper grinned again, and she and Jason walked off together, leaving Annabeth by herself.

She blew her hair out of her face. It was kind of rare—Annabeth Chase was practically _never _wrong. She was probably blinded by the fact that she _did _want Jason and Piper get to married.

Just went to show how obsessed she was. (She really needed to get back on track.)

* * *

><p><strong>Is a voicemail really loud enough for everyone to hear? Whatever. Just pretend it is. xD Also, I'm just. Jason would be incredibly hot with an arrogant smirk. I'm just saying that now. So would Percy. Anyway, this chapter was a bit of a shorter filler, like I said, because I needed to get into Jason's POV for something ... <em>heeeheheheheheheheehehhe. heh.<em>**

**And another thing, I kinda turned Piper into this whole Margo Alaska Roth Young Spiegelman character. See, the reason that I pretty much always write Human AU's is because I'm not really good at finding a plot for a demigod story. Like, they have to fight monsters. What monsters do they fight? I dunno. My writing is generally leaning more towards the John Green style, but if I ever do write a demigod story, I'm going to try my hardest to write like Uncle Rick. (Because an AU where Piper is a Hunter and Jason is dating Reyna may or may not be in the making.)**

**One last thing that I meant to say last chapter but forgot—has anyone listened to any of the songs from R5's new album, Sometime Last Night? I love all of them. Do It Again is my favorite. :)**

**(This chapter also required a lot of research because I just now realized that married people have two rings. I always thought there was only one. I thought the engagement ring was the only thing they wore. But I think the one who is proposed to is the only one that has an engagement ring. I'm so confused.)**


	32. Chapter 32

"Would you ever want us to be married?"

Jason jerked back in pure surprise, retracting his arms from Piper's small frame. Her head whipped around to face him, her eyes wide, and he immediately felt bad. Amazing what one question could do to a person.

"Is that a no?" She asked softly. But she didn't seem sad—regretful, maybe, that she'd even asked the question in the first place.

Jason didn't respond for a long time. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, placing the other arm back around Piper's shoulders. "I don't know, Pipes," he murmured into her hair. "What about you?"

Piper hummed, shrugging as she leaned into his chest. "I don't know, either," she admitted. "We're young. And, well, I don't really know whether or not young love lasts." She paused and looked up at him. "Do you think it does?"

"Depends on who the lovers are," he said with a smile. Piper laughed and pressed her lips to his in a sweet kiss. Maybe he wanted young love to last. At least, he wanted to last with Piper for as long as possible.

But could he really call it love?

He and Piper hadn't even known each other for a year yet. On top of that, they'd only been dating—_actually _dating, that is—for a few weeks, which really wasn't much. Jason liked to believe that he loved her. And that she loved him, too.

Hell, what even _was _love?

Someone groaned, causing the two of them to break apart. Thalia was standing in the doorway, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "God, guys," she complained, "if you're going to kiss, do it in Annabeth's house. I'm sure she'd love that."

"You're complaining about _us_?" Jason asked. He raised his eyebrows. "Are you forgetting that one time I walked in on you and Luke doing—"

"_Don't_," Thalia hissed. Her face flushed, and she slowly started to retreat back to where she came from. "Okay, fine, keep sucking each other's faces, I won't judge." She raised her hands and spun on her heel.

Piper bit her lip, trying to stifle a laugh. Jason thought that it was adorable. "Did they do the ..." She trailed off, rocking her side to side.

"They did." Jason shook his head, and Piper let out the laugh.

"And you _saw _it?" She asked, incredulously, between guffaws.

Jason sighed. He squished his cheek against Piper's hair. "Unfortunately, I did." A shiver ran through his body, causing Piper to laugh again. "It was _not _fun to see. I am scarred for life."

"Did you ever do it with Rey—"

"_No_!" Jason practically screamed, causing Piper to jump away from him and land on the floor. If she was hurt, though, it didn't show. _Definitely _not—she was rolling around the floor, laughing.

"That was _priceless_," she breathed, calming down and staring up at the ceiling with a wide smile on her face. "I love to annoy you."

Jason crossed his arms. "You suck," he muttered.

"But you love me," Piper pointed out, looking up at him the best she could while she was lying on the floor.

"I do love you," he agreed. A smile tugged at his lips as he got off the couch and fell to the floor next to her. She raised her eyebrows, as if asking what he was doing, and her answer was him digging his fingers into her side.

"_Jason_!" She shrieked, letting out a fit of giggles. He let out a hearty laugh and leaned over her, continuing to tickle her.

Maybe this was love. Was it? In all honesty, the whole concept of _love _had always confused Jason. It was just some excessively strong attraction to another person, wasn't it? Whatever it was, he was almost positive that he loved Piper. He told her he loved her. She told him she loved him. He'd fallen in love with his best friend.

His _best friend _wriggled around in a desperate attempt to get away from Jason. He stopped tickling her, much to her relief, but then he rolled on top of her. Piper grunted, raising her eyebrows at him.

"We're in a bit of a compromising position, aren't we?" She muttered. Her green eyes twinkled with a mischievous glint, and Jason flushed immediately.

"I mean—I don't, like," he spluttered. "I wasn't going to—"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Shut up and kiss me, Grace."

And so he did.

Thalia's voice rang through the room again, laced with pure disgust. "Holy _shit_, guys, get a room!"

Jason stuck up his middle finger, keeping his lips on Piper's.

* * *

><p>"So, what movie are we watching?"<p>

Jason flashed Piper a grin, holding up two ticket stubs. "Pitch Perfect 2," he said brightly. "Do you think the theater would be empty? Because I might start singing at the top of the lungs. 'Accidentally.'"

"Might be. Movie came out a while ago." Piper smirked. "I'd hate to hear you sing."

"Like you're any better," he teased. She—very maturely, Jason might add—stuck her tongue out as he slipped an arm around her waist. They walked into the movie theater together. Jason saw a few people he knew. Not by name, but he'd seen them around a few times. Piper was sniffing the air like a greyhound.

"Popcorn?" She asked. Jason nodded.

"Of course," he replied, pulling her over to the concession stand. He paid for a large bucket of popcorn, which caused Piper to tease him about how much of a gentleman he was, and they were about to go to their theater when Piper yelped.

"What's up?" He asked immediately. Overprotective boyfriend mode. Again.

She turned to face him briefly, a smile on her face, and then turned back around and waved her hand in the air like a maniac. "It's Leo!" She exclaimed. Jason frowned. Okay, so Leo was at the movie theater. Not a big deal.

He saw Leo a few feet away and gave him a weak smile. Leo grinned immediately and jogged towards them, a half-empty popcorn bucket in his arm.

"Sparky," he said with a nod and a smile. "Beauty Queen." Piper rolled her eyes but pulled him into a hug nonetheless, detaching herself from Jason.

"What are you doing here?" Piper asked, once she'd pulled away. Jason grabbed her hand.

"I think he's watching a movie," Jason deadpanned.

Piper whipped around and gave him a teasing glare before turning back to Leo. "What movie?" She asked. Leo smiled. He held up a ticket, his eyes flickering to the ones in Jason's hand.

"Pitch Perfect 2," he replied, and a grin almost identical to his appeared on Piper's face.

"Great!" She looked at Jason. "Can he come with us, then? Like, sit next to us?"

Jason knit his eyebrows. _Well, it was kinda supposed to be a_ _date_, Jason thought._ Without Leo. Because Leo isn't dating either one of us. At least, I don't think he is. I hope he isn't._

He gave Leo a tight smile. "Sure," he said.

Leo grinned and wedged himself in between Jason and Piper, forcing her hand out of his. He wrapped one arm around Piper's neck and reached up to put the other around Jason's, but he was too tall, so he just slung his arm across his middle. Jason flinched.

The theater wasn't far down the hall. It was also _completely _empty, just as Jason though it would be. The movie had been released a while ago—Piper was right, so he wasn't expecting anyone to be there. (Especially not Leo.)

The three of them settled down in the middle of the front row. Piper sat in between the two of them, and she immediately started up a conversation with Leo. Heck, she was barely even _touching _Jason. Their arms were resting on the same armrest. And that was it.

A few minutes later, the movie started. Piper made no effort to snuggle against Jason. Or talk to him. In fact, she kept blabbing to Leo.

And then the two of them started singing at the top of their lungs. Jason would have loved to join in, but he had a feeling that if he did, things wouldn't have gone so well.

As bad as it sounded, Jason would have never imagined that in a group of the three of them, _he'd _be the third wheel. Yet, there he was, leaning away from Piper, who was singing so dramatically that she was bound to whip out and slap Jason in the face any second.

That was how the rest of the movie went on. Jason sat uncomfortably squished against the armrest to the right of him, while Leo and Piper made faces and sang their hearts out. Leo's voice vaguely reminded Jason of a dying walrus. Piper sounded a little bit nicer, but it was hard to tell, because she was practically screaming.

What a date.

It was a nice movie, to say the least. But it probably would have been a lot nicer if his girlfriend had actually talked to him. Instead of her _ex-boyfriend. _Who, for whatever reason, came to the movies alone. Instead of with _his _girlfriend.

As the credits came on, Piper slumped in her chair, breathing heavily from all of the singing. "That was fun," she croaked out, her voice dry and scratchy. Leo nodded, falling forward and resting his head in his hands.

"How about some lunch?" He asked, once he'd regained his breath.

Jason stiffened. He shot up, taking Piper with him. "Piper and I are going to pass," he said, as apologetically as he could manage. "We're stuffed."

Piper glanced at the bucket of popcorn in her hands. It was practically full, because Jason spent the entire movie sulking and she spent the entire movie singing. (Even the parts when the characters weren't actually singing.) "But we didn't eat anything ..." She trailed off, confused. Jason smiled at her.

"I have food at home."

"But I want to—"

"Bye, Leo!" Jason said brightly, dragging Piper by the wrist out of the theater. Looking back, he noticed that Leo was standing there with a purely confused expression, but Jason didn't say anything.

Once they were in the car, Piper crossed her arms. "What was that about?" She demanded.

"I ..." Jason trailed off. He shook his head. "We'll talk later, okay?"

Piper looked pretty pissed off, but she said nothing. Just stared right ahead and didn't say a single word. She probably took the whole "we'll talk later" things a little too seriously.

But Jason didn't speak, either, to avoid any awkwardness. The entire ride home was complete silence—no music, no talking, anything. It was almost a relief when they got back to Jason's house, but Jason knew that it was only going to get worse.

"What's up with you?" Piper asked, once she'd shut the door. She didn't move from her spot in front of it, arms still crossed.

"Did you really _have _to invite Leo to sit with us?" Jason blurted immediately. He winced—it sounded like some kind of forced Mean Girls reference.

Piper narrowed her eyes. "He was going to the movie anyway," she said slowly, as if speaking to a child. "It wasn't like we could just tell him to buy another ticket and go to a different movie."

"All you did was talk to him," Jason replied. "You never even looked at me."

"You never _tried _to join the conversation!" Piper groaned. "You could have, you know. But you just sat there by yourself, like a complete loner."

"I didn't want to _intrude_," Jason sneered. "Because you two looked like you were having _so much fun_."

"Is that wrong? I don't get to talk to him nearly as much these days."

"You see each other everyday."

"So?" Piper waved her arms around, clearly irritated. "I see Drew and Dylan everyday. But do I talk to them? Hell no, I _don't_."

"Then why don't you talk to Leo?"

"Maybe because I'm too busy talking to _you_," Piper hissed, poking his chest. "The least you could do is stop being such a possessive douchebag and let me talk to my friends every once in a while."

"Don't go around calling _me _the douchebag." Jason's voice was getting louder. And in all honesty, it was staring to scare him. Had he ever used that tone with Reyna before? Or with _anyone_? "As far as I know, I'm not the one who starts talking with my ex and completely ignores my significant other, even though we're supposed to be on a date."

"Significant other?" Piper mimicked an explosion with her hands. "Big words."

"If we're going on a date, I think it would be more fun if, you know, you acknowledged the fact that I existed?"

Piper scoffed. "Don't use that tone with me, Grace. Didn't I tell you to stop being such a sarcastic little shit?"

"You did. And I don't care. Just like you seemingly don't care that we were supposed to be on a _date_."

"_Why _are you so—"

"You know," Jason said bitterly, "this is pretty much the exact same thing we fought about the first time. You did everything with Leo, even when you were _supposed _to be doing something with me."

Piper's eyes flared. "One _time_, Jason," she spat. "I hang out with him _one _time. What the hell are you so pissed off about?"

"You do know what a date is, don't you?" He asked dryly. Piper rolled her eyes.

"I _do_, Jason, thanks for asking," she replied, with just as much sarcasm. "Listen, he's been in a funk lately, because Calypso moved away. I was just trying to cheer him up!"

Jason threw up his hands. "Well, that makes things even _worse_. He's single now!"

"What, are you _jealous_?" Piper demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

"Maybe I am. And I was just as jealous as I am now when you kept bringing Leo to work on _our _project. Every. _Single. _Time."

"He was my _boyfriend_!"

"Yeah, well, who's your boyfriend now?"

"Not _you_."

Jason's voice died in his throat.

He could see the regret in Piper's teary eyes. It was clear. But she was angry, too, completely and utterly outraged. And it didn't look like she was going to take that back any time soon.

"I guess young love never lasts," he said softly, avoiding her gaze.

"No," Piper deadpanned. "It doesn't."

She whipped around and walked out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>HAHAHAHAHAHAHA AND SOME OF YOU WERE ACTUALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS CHAPTER. im an evil bunny. heehee. <strong>

**Props to _liaregie_, because you, my friend, are the only person who even mentioned being scared/worried about this chapter. Also, to _Socially Awkward Taco_—formerly known as _Jasper is Golden_—you have a wonderful name. :) (You too, VampirePenguins/PenguinsForever.) And I apologize. Because Jasper isn't being too golden right now.**

**But, you know what? Seven chapters left. Which means that _yes_, they will be getting back together relatively soon. Like, seriously. It's kinda rushed. Also, this chapter was rushed, especially the breakup scene. I seriously can't think of good reasons to break up with someone. xD But I hope you guys enjoyed. Heh. The first part was kinda fluffy, though. I liked that. I might edit the breakup scene later. Make it a bit longer. Depends.**

**(Things get worse for Piper from here. Just saying. And then they get better again. But later. *cue sickly sweet smile*)**


	33. Chapter 33

Piper was really sad.

Okay, _sad _was an understatement. She was completely devastated.

A couple of weeks had passed since she and Jason broke up, and she generally wasn't one to become all depressed after a breakup. (Even if she'd only ever dated two people before.) But she had _seriously _messed up. Looking back on it, she'd made a stupid decision. Jason was right—it _was _supposed to be a date for just two of them.

Piper wasn't really sure what had come over her. It was true that she had seen Leo many times, and she'd talked to him a bunch, too, and the entire thing was just so _stupid_. She deserved an award for being such an idiot.

The fact that she and Jason were in the same friend group only made things awkwarder. The girls generally hung around Piper, while the boys tended to gravitate toward Jason. Except for Leo, who was convinced that the entire thing was his fault—he completely avoided both of them and followed around his half-sister, Nyssa.

Reyna was really cool about everything. She promised not to make a move on Jason or anything, now that he was single, but it wasn't like Piper expected her to in the first place. Hazel was just really sad most of the time, because she was still young, and it scared her that the same thing could happen to her and Frank.

Annabeth was a different story. Surprisingly enough, she hadn't taken pity on herself. She was always there for Piper, whenever she needed her, and Piper couldn't be more grateful. Apparently, she and Percy had never actually broken up before, and Piper couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

Then there was _Jason_. He played it cool and didn't say much about the breakup, even though it was the talk of the school. Usually, he looked pretty happy, but Piper had certainly picked up a few things while they were dating. He was hurting. It was easy to tell, really, the way he'd randomly zone out during class.

Things only got worse from there. Piper had been previously lucky enough to avoid Dylan and Drew, the king and queen of the school. (Most of the time, anyway, but there was that one time at Walmart.) But since Piper didn't really have a hunky boyfriend to protect her, the two of them had seized the chance. _Especially _Dylan—he kept trying to make a move on her, and it was getting a little freaky. Drew was being the stereotypical mean girl, and every opportunity she got, she would pick on Piper.

Jane was really nice, too, and Piper regretted ever saying that she hated her. She did everything in her power to make Piper feel better—bought her ice cream, took her to the movies, refrained from buying her an excessive amount of dresses. (They did, however, go shopping together, and she let Piper pick what she wanted.)

But all in all? Everything _sucked._

Piper came home after a long, tiring day at school—one that included Dylan trying to flirt with her, Drew asking her to do a rain dance, and Jason ignoring her. Again. The last she checked, Dylan and Drew were actually dating, but she figured that it was one of those on and off relationships. Because young love _never _lasts.

Jane was sitting in the living room, watching something on TV. Her face immediately brightened when she saw Piper walk in. "How was school?" She asked, but then seemed to take the question back. "Never mind. Don't answer that. Come watch TV with me!"

"What are you watching?" Piper asked slowly, as she walked into the living room. What she saw made her smile, despite her situation. "Austin & Ally? Are you serious?"

"It's actually a very nice show," Jane said. "You should give it a try."

"I would ..." Piper began, pretending to contemplate her decision, "but Disney Channel kinda _died _a couple of years ago, so I'm going to have to pass on that." She turned around and started to make her way to her room.

She laughed as Jane yelled something about Teen Beach Movie, walking into her room and shutting the door behind her. Her room had been her refuge for the past two weeks—the place where she could be an idiot and not be judged about it.

The string of pictures still hung on the wall, and a lot of them included Jason. But she wasn't going to take them down—she wasn't the kind of girl to completely block a boy out of her life after breaking up with him. She'd had fun with him while it lasted, and she wouldn't trade the memories for anything.

Somewhere along the line, Piper had ended up sprawled across her bed, her backpack thrown into a random corner, staring at the ceiling. Jane walked in—the rest of the condo was silent, meaning that she'd probably stopped watching Disney Channel.

"Okay, seriously," Jane said softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Piper sat up. "How was your day?"

Piper shrugged. "The same," she deadpanned. "Drew and her insults, Dylan and his flirting. And _no_, before you ask—I didn't talk to Jason."

"Oh." Jane frowned. "Don't you think this is getting a little out of hand? The bullying, anyway."

"It's fine," Piper assured her. "I mean, the insults aren't that _great_. They kinda suck, now that I think about it. Today, Drew asked me to do a rain dance, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been."

Jane looked horrified. "Do you even know how racist that is?"

"Yeah," Piper replied. She shrugged again. Drew had taken every opportunity to make fun of her Native American heritage—everything from asking about life on the rez to calling her Pocahontas and asking her where John Smith was. (Her take on it was that Jason was John Smith, and he left her because he found a cooler girl back in Europe.)

"Have you ever tried talking to your father about this?"

Piper shook her head. "No, but I don't want him to worry." She paused. "I think I can tell him when he comes here, though. You know, to shoot the movie. That's probably the best time to tell him."

Jane stiffened, and she opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Piper raised an eyebrow, but she just gave her a tight smile and a nod, leaving the room and gently closing the door behind her.

And just at that moment, her phone rang.

She scrambled off her bed and ran to her backpack, pulling open the first pocket. Her phone was vibrating violently, a Taylor Swift song blasting through the speakers, and she fumbled around with it in her hands before finally managing to accept the call.

It was her dad.

"Dad!" She exclaimed, flopping back onto her bed. There was a light chuckle on the other end. He was set to come in a few days, and a few weeks after that, they were going to release it to the public. It was the one thing that kept Piper from stomping around like a dead zombie the whole time.

"Hey, Pipes," Tristan said. "Listen, can I talk to you?"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Of course you can," she said playfully, "you're probably just going to tell me that you got the lead role in a TV show that's going to be filmed in Manhattan. _And _it's fourteen seasons long, so you're going to be here for a while."

"You know that I don't do TV shows. And can a TV show even be that long?" Tristan laughed again, but it died as quickly as it came. "But that's not quite what I was going to say."

"Oh! Maybe the movie that you're filming here is the first in a _series _and so you're going to be here for a—"

"Piper, there's no way to ease into this," Tristan interrupted. Piper's voice faltered. "And I know that this is going to hurt you, but I need you to be supportive, okay? _Please_, understand this."

Piper was scared. She wasn't sad—not _yet_, anyway—for the first time in a while. She was just _scared_. "What?" Her voice came out soft and high, like a little child. That scared her too, in its own way. There was a sigh, and she just wanted him to _get it over with_.

"Piper, the movie isn't going to be shot in Manhattan."

And things went even farther downhill from there.

"_What_?"

Another sigh—longer this time. "I'm so sorry," Tristan said, sounding genuinely sincere. "It's in California now. And please, _please _don't freak out—they won't tell me why. I'm _so _sorry."

All Piper managed to get out was, "oh."

"Now, listen to me," he began, "once I'm done with this movie, I promise that I'm going to take a year off and spend it with you, okay? Just like I said. I promise that it won't be long. You're having fun, right? And if time flies when you're having fun, then I'm going to be standing at the door in a few days."

Piper hesitated. Hah, _fun_. She was having a _bunch _of fun. But at this point, she'd lost the drive to tell him what was happening and decided to say that it was all going swell, just for his sake. "Yeah, it's going great over here." Her voice cracked on the last word, and she mentally cursed.

Tristan seemed to notice. "You sure you'll be okay?" He asked gently.

"Yes," Piper said quietly. "Thank you for telling me."

"I wouldn't forget," Tristan replied. "Take care of yourself, okay? I love you."

"Love you too."

He hung up, and Piper could have easily thrown her thrown across her room. But no, she set it down on her bed and decided to take out her anger on someone else—the person who actually _caused _that anger.

This was the first time Piper had felt pure anger in a long time—she'd been a little more on the depressed side lately, sulking around and avoiding eye contact. But she had no idea how she could be so stupid—again. She'd _seen _her stiffen. She'd _seen _her at a loss for words.

Jane was in the kitchen, preparing dinner, when Piper came up. She smiled, but it quickly faded away when she was Piper's expression.

"You knew," Piper spat.

Jane shrank back against the counter, faking a confused expression. "I knew what?"

"You _knew _that he wasn't coming. And you didn't tell me."

"I ..." Jane sighed. She straightened and reached out to Piper, but she recoiled, backing into the column behind her. "Piper, he didn't want me to tell you."

"You should have told me anyway."

"Piper, _please_," Jane pleaded. "He wanted to tell you himself."

Piper shook her head, blinking away the tears forming in her eyes. No wonder her life had been going so well. Because at some point, everything had to come crashing down on her.

She ran into her room, slamming the door behind her and pressing her back to it. And that was it—she sunk to the ground and cried and didn't come out, because she thought that if she escaped reality for a little, it would all be over.

* * *

><p>"She didn't eat dinner. Or breakfast. I'm worried."<p>

"Can I talk to her?"

"You can try. But she hasn't come out of her room since last night."

Piper could easily hear them talking—the doorbell had rung a few minutes ago, and Annabeth was at the door. She and Jane had been chatting in hushed tones for a while, and Piper had been silently getting ready for another long day at school.

"No need," Piper said dully, stepping out of her room in a pair of denim shorts and a t-shirt. "I'm here."

Jane looked surprised, but she wrinkled her nose. "Did you even brush your teeth?"

"Nope." Piper laughed bitterly. "Is that all you care about? My dental hygiene?"

"It's a good thing to pay attention to," Jane muttered, but she looked regretful. Piper glanced at Annabeth, who was staring at her with a blank expression.

"Well?" Piper said. "Are we going or not?"

Annabeth nodded slowly. She jerked her head toward the door, and Piper followed her, taking a mint from the small glass bowl on the counter.

The ride to school was silent—majority of the time, anyway. Piper leaned against the window and stared out of it as if she were in one of those sad movies. It was only when they were pulling into the parking lot did Annabeth say something.

"What's up?" She asked slowly, like she was scared that a few words could break Piper, but she just snorted.

"What do you _think _is up?" Piper replied dryly. There was a small fly in the corner of the window, and she took a pen and stabbed it, throwing the pen out of the window afterward.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "I can tell that something besides Jason is bothering you," she said softly. She pulled the key out of the ignition but didn't move an inch. "What happened?"

"Nothing you need to know," Piper said calmly, pushing open the door and stepping out. It could have been a really nice day—the sun was shining, the sky was bright blue. But Piper wasn't really feeling it.

"Oh, come on." Annabeth groaned and got out of the car herself. It locked with a loud honk. "I'm trying to help you here, Piper. Just tell me what's going on."

Piper turned to face her. She narrowed her eyes. "I don't need your help," she hissed, and walked away without giving herself a chance to see Annabeth's reaction.

As she walked into school, she thought that if she was this hostile to everyone, then it would be pretty clear that something was definitely up. She figured that she wasn't so sad anymore so much as angry. Angry at the world, because it decided to be particularly sucky towards her.

Maybe she should have stayed with Annabeth, because Dylan was suddenly in front of her. He was standing painfully close to her, his minty breath blowing onto her face. (And up her nostrils. She almost gagged.)

"What do you want, Dylan?" She asked quietly, keeping eye contact. He grinned at her.

"What do _you _want, princess?" He replied, placing a hand on her arm. Piper stiffened, but she didn't move an inch. She was going to stand her ground.

She grit her teeth. "I want you to fuck off," she hissed. His grin only grew, and he took her other arm, running his hands up and down her cold skin.

"Aw," he whispered, nuzzling into her neck. "I guess we don't want the same thing."

"Go _awa_—" Piper cut herself off with a scream as Dylan shoved her up against the locker behind them, slamming his mouth onto hers. Either he wanted her to shut up, or he was just kissing her for his benefit. Probably both. But it sucked anyway.

Piper squirmed around in a desperate attempt to get him off, but his grip was strong. He had her arms pinned against the locker, his hands growing tighter around her wrists by each second. There was someone yelling, but she didn't know who it was. She couldn't _process_ who it was.

Her only thoughts? Life _sucked_. And a few seconds later—Dylan wasn't _that _bad at kissing. (Of course he wasn't. He'd probably kissed a lot of random people.) But she wanted him to get the hell away from her, and he wouldn't budge. Instead, he shoved her against the locker again, causing her to yelp.

Which effectively allowed him his tongue to, um, _enter _her mouth.

She gagged, and she could feel Dylan smiling against her lips as he squished himself against her. His hands trailed down her arms to her waist and then around the back, and—

Suddenly, he seemed to disappear. Someone had pushed him against the wall across from them, but he didn't look hurt. In fact, he looked painfully pleased with himself.

"That was fun," he drawled. "Can't wait until next time."

"There won't _be _a fucking next time."

Piper glanced up as Dylan walked away with a sneer—it was _Percy_. Percy had practically thrown him across the hall, which was surprising, considering the fact that they weren't even that close. Leo was behind him, glaring at Dylan's backside as he strode away.

"Fucking bitch," he muttered, which also surprised Piper, because one: she hadn't really talked to him in a while, and two: he generally wasn't the one to use that kind of language.

But no Jason.

Percy turned to face Piper, his sea green eyes soft with concern. "Hey, you okay?" He asked gently. He leaned down and wiped his thumb across her cheek. It was then that Piper realized that she was _crying_. Full-on waterfalls were streaming down her cheeks, but she wasn't making a sound.

"I'm going to fucking whip—"

"_Leo_," Percy warned.

"Do you see her wrists? _Look _at them, Percy."

Percy's eyes flickered down to her wrists, and his mouth formed a small 'o.' Piper looked at them herself. They were a rather ugly shade of purple. She held back a barf. (And a sob.)

"You can kill him now," Percy said casually. He made eye contact with Piper again. "Are you okay?" He repeated.

Piper opened her mouth several times to say something, but nothing came out. Then there it was—a gasp, and then a loud, ugly sob. She shook her head rapidly, her braids whipping around. "I don't know," she managed to get out. Percy pulled her into a tight embrace, resting his chin on top of her head. Leo left to go get a teacher or something.

"We're going to get you home, okay?" He whispered. Piper just nodded, even if she really wanted to say something. (She figured that she should apologize for soaking his shirt.)

"Aw, Dumpster Queen, are you crying?"

"Go away, Drew," Piper heard Percy say, and she snapped her head up. Sure enough, Drew was standing there with her hands on her hips and a sickly sweet smile on her cakey face.

"No, I wanna know why she's crying." Drew pretended to pout. "Did someone sneak into your teepee?"

Percy gritted his teeth. "Go _away_," he said again, but more forcefully, as if he were trying his best not to slap her.

"Why?" Drew asked innocently. "I have just as much of a right to be here as you do. What, is she your girlfriend? Are you cheating on poor little Annie?"

"Your little boyfriend decided to shove his tongue down her throat," Percy spat. His eyes were sparking dangerously—Piper had never seen them like that before. They were usually used to his advantage when he was trying to beg Annabeth for something.

Drew smiled again. "Oh, he was just having _fun_," she drawled, twisting a black curl around her finger. "Don't worry, I know that he loves me. More than Jason loved poor Dumpster Queen, anyway."

The insults were really starting to get to Piper's head.

"Oh, that's it, I'm going to—"

Piper placed a hand on Percy's chest before he could do anything, and Drew sashayed away, that smile still on her face. Percy looked about ready to murder her, but Piper didn't let him.

_No _one—not even Drew or Dylan—deserved to hurt as much as she did.

* * *

><p><strong>I forgot to mention, but I'll say it now because I just reread them yesterday: a couple of these lines came from other fanfictions. The first time Jason <em>actually <em>kissed Piper—feeling the feels, guys—he said he was angry at himself "for not doing this sooner." That came from _The Tragedy of Perseus & Annabeth. _And the line I used in this chapter, _she wouldn't trade the memories for anything_, came from _Mixed Feelings _by maybeitslaiba. So credits to them! They're both _amazing _stories, and I highly recommend that you check them out if you haven't already! _Mixed Feelings _is completed and has a sequel, _Lost Feelings_.**

**And for the record, I actually do like Austin & Ally. Auslly/Raura is one of my OTP's so. (OTP's? OTPs? Oversized Toilet Papers?)**

**I lost my groove halfway through this chapter. Dunno if you can tell. I literally had to force everything out because I had a plan, but I didn't know how to go through with it. **

**And, guys. I'm 11. That Dylan scene was really freaking awkward. BUT PIPERCY BROMANCE _YAY. _Liper and Pipercy have gotta be my two favorite bromances. What about you guys? And how were the feels in this chapter? Heehee.**


	34. Chapter 34

"_What happened_?"

Percy didn't respond at first. He kept glaring at Dylan across the cafeteria. Annabeth tugged at his sleeve, and he whipped around to face her. His green eyes were blazing with anger—it actually scared Annabeth a bit.

"What happened?" She repeated, gentler this time. Percy softened, and he dropped his head into his hands.

"I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled. Annabeth ran a hand through his hair.

"Tell me, Percy," she said quietly. "Piper's my friend, too. I want to know what happened."

"Go ask somebody else."

Annabeth bit her lip to keep from groaning in frustration. What happened to Piper? If Percy wasn't even telling her, then it must have been bad. She glanced at Leo, who had decided to join them for lunch that day—he was looking at Dylan, too. And he did _not_ look happy.

Reyna slid into a seat, Hazel behind her. "Did you hear what happened?" Reyna hissed.

"No." Annabeth leaned forward in anticipation. "What is it? Tell me!"

Reyna and Hazel exchanged glances, and Reyna sighed, tucking a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Dylan kissed her," she muttered.

Annabeth blinked. "That's it?" Her voice came out a lot louder than she would have wanted it to, and she slapped her hands over her mouth, lowering her voice to a whisper. "That's it?"

"That's not just it, he, uh, he ..." Reyna waved her hands around. "Touched her in certain places—_oh my gosh_, you should see her wrists—and, um, his tongue kinda made contact with the inside of her mouth—"

"What?" Annabeth demanded. "Did you even do anything?"

"I was going to, but ..." Reyna trailed off, gesturing to Percy. "Your boyfriend saved the day. He tossed Dylan across the hall as if he were a rag doll or something. Oh, and Leo was there too, he said a bunch of colorful words." She let out a low whistle. "In both English and Spanish. He's like a loose cannon."

"Is she okay?"

Reyna shrugged helplessly. "I don't know," she said. "She left before I could ask."

"She's not okay," Percy said bitterly, speaking up the first time. "Dylan messed her up pretty bad."

Annabeth could only imagine what Piper was going through. There was the breakup and now Dylan, and that other thing that Piper wouldn't tell her about. If she could just _tell_ Annabeth, then maybe she could help. She _would_ help.

"What happened to Dylan?" She asked. "Did he get in trouble?"

"Well, obviously not. He's still here." Percy shook his head. "Nothing big, anyway. All he got was a week of detention. Probably seduced the office staff."

Reyna's eyes widened suddenly, and shortly after, so did Hazel's. Annabeth raised her eyebrows, and Reyna pointed behind her. She turned around, slowly, and Jason was standing there, flanked by Frank.

Annabeth hadn't really taken sides when Jason and Piper broke up—she just naturally gravitated to Piper. It was a girl thing. She'd called Jason once or twice, just to ask him how he was feeling. And, surprisingly enough, the breakup hadn't hit her very hard. She was more concerned for Piper, especially because Jason wouldn't even look at her. Annabeth had never broken up with Percy, but she would have hoped that even if they did, he would still acknowledge that she existed.

"What do you want?" Annabeth asked, but not harshly. Slowly, in a questioning matter.

"Where's Piper?" Jason replied, his eyes darting around the cafeteria as if he were looking for her. "She wasn't in class earlier."

"Why do you care?"

Jason scowled. "I think you're forgetting the fact that she broke up with me. I'm just trying to take some time to ..." He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Never mind. I still care about her, Annabeth. I saw her walking in earlier, but her seat was empty."

"You don't know," Annabeth muttered, her eyes wide. The news was bound to have spread by now, but Jason was completely oblivious.

He raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what?" He demanded.

"It was Dylan—" Annabeth began, but Jason cut her off.

"What the hell did he do to her?"

Annabeth bit back a smile. He did care. But before she could answer, Percy did, gripping the back of his chair so tight that his knuckles were turning white.

"What did he do to her?" He deadpanned. "Oh, nothing much, he just sort of half-raped her—"

"He did what?"

"Percy!" Annabeth scolded. She turned to Jason, who was practically shaking with anger. "He didn't 'half-rape' her, he just kissed her—"

"He shoved his fucking tongue down her throat," Leo interrupted, not taking his eyes off of Dylan. Jason looked about ready to explode. "And he grabbed her wrists so tight that they bruised, and he touched her b—"

"Backside," Reyna supplied, eyeing Leo warily.

Jason's eyes narrowed to slits. He whipped around, and Annabeth followed his line of sight. Drew was there, examining Dylan's face. He didn't look hurt, but if Percy had thrown him that hard, then he was bound to be physically hurting somewhere. And Jason—he looked just as angry as Leo. Or maybe more so.

Oh, no.

"Jason, don't," Annabeth warned. She reached out and grabbed his hand, but he yanked it away with so much force that Annabeth almost fell over.

"I'm going to fucking kill him," Jason said through gritted teeth, and he started to make his way towards Dylan. Leo jumped up and tried to join him, but Hazel held him back. He growled, bearing a slight resemblance to an angry dog. Hazel looked terrified, but she didn't let go of his arms.

Annabeth stumbled out of her chair and followed Jason. She wasn't going to let him start a fight in the middle of lunch. Frank followed suit, but Jason quickened his pace.

He marched right up to Dylan and punched him in the face.

Annabeth stopped abruptly. Her hands flew to her mouth as Drew and Hazel let out simultaneous shrieks.

"What the hell was that for?" Dylan shouted, cupping the part of his face that Jason had hit. He went in for another punch, but Frank grabbed him before he could.

"You touched Piper," Jason spat. He tried to get out of Frank's grip, but he was holding on pretty tight.

Dylan snorted. "I'm sure that a lot of us have touched Piper at some point, pretty boy.

Jason managed to free himself, and he threw another hit straight at Dylan's nose. He staggered backward. "You know what I mean," he snarled. More people were starting to gather around. Percy appeared next to Annabeth and slipped his hand into hers.

Dylan didn't say anything—instead, he grit his teeth and actually started to defend himself. He lunged forward, his fist connecting with Jason's cheek and knocking his head to the side. Jason reacted immediately and tackled Dylan to the ground.

Hazel was shrieking again. Percy had ran forward with Frank, and the two of them were trying to pry Jason from Dylan. Annabeth couldn't really see what was happening—they were hidden by a crowd of spectators. And a couple of tables. But she heard yelling. A lot of it.

And Piper wasn't even there to see it.

Percy and Frank finally managed to pull Jason to his feet. He was breathing heavily, struggling against their grip. A hint of a bruise was starting to form on his right cheek, where Dylan had hit him. Dylan, on the other hand, wasn't looking so great =—his left eye was swelling. A trail of blood was dripping from his right nostril.

Annabeth had never seen a purely angry Jason before. He'd always been the one to keep his calm. And she hoped that she would never have to see it again. (She probably wouldn't, anyway—she figured that he was only like that when the situation involved Piper.)

Mr. Blofis had come over, and just like Jason had been, he seemed unusually angry. He grabbed an arm from each of the boys, muttering something that Annabeth couldn't hear, and dragged them away. The crowd that had gathered decided to go back to eating their lunch, as if nothing had happened.

When Annabeth got back to the table, Hazel was practically crying. The poor girl was still so innocent. Frank wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, whispering into her ear. Reyna was trying to comfort her, too, but she looked terrified. Percy and Leo, on the other hand, seemed pretty happy. (Even if Percy had almost been attacked by a rabid Jason a few minutes ago.) They high-fived each other. And then did it again.

"That takes guts, man!" Leo shouted. Everybody in the cafeteria turned to look at him, but he didn't even care. He just gave Percy another high five.

"Boys," Annabeth chided, "stop it."

"Come on, Annie. He just defended Piper! Wouldn't you like it if I did the same for you?" Percy frowned. Leo's hand was frozen in midair, waiting for a high five that would probably never come.

Annabeth bit her lip. "I would," she admitted. "But I wouldn't want you getting hurt, either. And, besides, we don't know what will happen to Jason."

She turned and sat down before Percy could say anything. It was true that it would have been sweet of Percy to do the same for her. Jason had done it, even if he wasn't dating Piper anymore. He _did_ still care about her.

If only Piper _was_ there to see it.

* * *

><p>"So, what was the punishment?"<p>

Jason sighed. He leaned his head against the window, squishing the ice pack in between the glass and his cheek. "Two-day suspension."

"Does Thalia know yet?"

"No." Jason groaned. "Oh, no. She's going to freak out."

Annabeth glanced at the clock on the wall. It hung right above a framed picture of Jason and Piper, and it surprised her that he hadn't taken it down. "What time does she get back?" She asked.

"Her classes end at 4:30," Jason replied. He looked at the clock, too, and groaned again. Annabeth suppressed a smile. "Great. She's going to be here any second."

"I'll be here every step of the way," Annabeth said dramatically, placing a hand on her heart. Then she noticed Jason's expression, and she softened immediately, placing a hand over his. "Hey, really. I'll make sure that she won't murder you."

Jason laughed bitterly. The ice pack fell, but he made no effort to pick it up. "Not sure if anyone can stop her," he muttered. His skin was red from the chill of the ice, but Annabeth could see the dark splotch. Wasn't big, but wasn't pretty.

"What happened to Dylan?"

"Suspended for the rest of the week." Jason smirked. "Gave the principal all of this crap about defending himself. But then I said what he did to Piper, and poof. He was gone."

Annabeth was quiet for a few moments, simply acknowledging Jason. He was staring out the window—his eyes had lost any sign of excitement. They'd always been a bright blue, the only thing he had in common with Thalia. But now, they were dull, dimmed by a devastating feeling that Annabeth could only imagine.

Piper had been the one to break up with Jason. That much was true. And yet he was the one ignoring her, and she was the one who kept glancing at him. Piper had never told Annabeth directly, but Annabeth knew that she regretted what she'd done. Another girl thing.

"What you did was really brave," Annabeth said quietly. Jason looked startled, but he just gave her a slight nod and didn't say anything else. "And I admire the fact that you did it ..."

Jason turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. She hesitated. "For her," she mumbled, almost shyly.

"Yeah," Jason croaked out. He swallowed.

"Do you still love her?"

It was Jason's turn to not reply. He turned and looked out the window again, slowly tapping his fingers against the windowsill.

"I never stopped," was all he said.

And then neither of them talked. Annabeth prodded his fingers with hers, and he slowly allowed her to intertwine their fingers together. She shifted her position and rested her head on his shoulder, letting out a quiet sigh.

"You should talk to her," she muttered. She could feel Jason shake his head.

"I don't think she'd like that," he replied.

"I think she would," Annabeth insisted. "If you still love her, and she still loves you, then I think it's worth a shot."

"How do you know that she still loves me?"

Annabeth snorted. "If you've ever looked at her over the past two weeks, then you'd know that she's been staring at you a whole lot."

"Really? Whenever I look at her, she isn't looking at me."

"Of course, you big dope, she doesn't want you to catch her staring at you."

Jason let out a breathy laugh. It was the first time Annabeth had heard him sound remotely happy in a while. Mainly because she hadn't seen Jason around very much, and when she did, he wasn't in the greatest mood. But it was lovely, nonetheless, and it gave her a spark of hope for the future.

Ships weren't so important anymore. Or maybe they were, but not because they were a ship. They were a couple. Annabeth believed that there was a profound difference between the two. A ship, two people that were seen—or _wanted_, perhaps—as a couple by others. But a couple itself? Two people who loved each other, regardless of what anyone else thought. And as long as Annabeth's friends were part of a couple, then she was happy.

"I guess I'll go see her," Jason said. "I've got time on my hands. Can't go to school for a couple of days. Maybe beating the shit out of someone has its perks."

Annabeth smiled. "You should do it more often," she joked.

"I think I'll pass on that one." Jason paused. "I'm a little afraid that Jane will kill me, though."

There was a sound outside of the room—a door unlocking and then slamming shut a few minutes later. Thalia's loud voice rang through the small house, signaling that she was home, and Jason stiffened. Annabeth couldn't help it—she smiled again.

"I have a feeling that Thalia's going to beat her to it."

* * *

><p><strong>A few people asked where Jason was. I think I found him.<strong>

**Protective Jason, though. It's wonderful.**

**Can I have my own Jason Grace, please? Thank you, Santa.**

**Next chapter includes an incredibly angry Thalia and a hesitant Jason showing up at Piper's door. And after that ... you'll see. :) (By the way, the smiley face means that something good is going to happen. I'm done with bad stuff. Don't worry.)**

**Also, I hope it was okay that I used the r*** word again in this chapter. (I fixed the last time I used it.) It was actually a little more serious in this situation, but I can change it if it makes anyone uncomfortable.**


	35. Chapter 35

"You fucking _idiot_! What do you think you were doing, getting in a fight with Dylan Ventum? He's a fucking asshole! He's not worth your time!"

"Thalia—"

"You could have gotten seriously hurt! You're lucky that all he did was punch you in the face. But _look _at your face! You have a fucking bruise! It looks you got in a paintball fight and got nailed in the face, but it doesn't look like the fucking paint is going to come off any fucking time soon!"

"_Thalia_—"

"And adding onto that, you're also fucking _suspended_! Whoop de doo! Isn't that just fucking _peachy_? You just ruined your perfect record by getting in a fight with fucking _Dylan Ventum_, who is, may I remind you again, the biggest fucking douchebag in the entire school! What the hell is going to happen to you now? Are you going to run around and pick fights with a bunch of other people? Hell, if I see you beating up a trashcan I swear on my fucking life. And if that trashcan starts beating the shit out of you, then I'm going to legitimately kick you out of my house."

Safe to say that Thalia was absolutely _livid_.

Jason sighed and stopped trying to say anything, as his sister rambled on and on. Annabeth stood off to the corner, trying to stifle her laughter, but her smile only widened when Jason sent her a look.

"I will say this over and over again, Jason, you are a complete _idiot_! You know, you're lucky that they didn't call before you told me, because I would have beat the shit out of you all over again. If I find out that you got in another fight, I swear—"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Jason clamped his hands over Thalia's mouth, and she yelped. "You're mad at me. But, you know what, I like to think that I did that for a perfectly good reason. And, side note—if you ever see me punching a trashcan, chances are that I'm drunk."

Thalia calmed down, but when Jason pulled his hands away, she was still glaring at him. "And what's that good reason?"

The words got caught in Jason's throat. He could feel himself flushing as he sent Annabeth a small smile. She nodded, her smile growing even bigger.

"As you've mentioned several times," she began, "Dylan is not a particularly nice person. He may or may not have kissed Piper. And, uh, done a few other things that aren't too great."

Thalia's eyes narrowed to slits. "What did he do? I'm going to beat that little fucker—"

"Calm down." Annabeth laughed lightly. "Jason already took care of that."

Jason stood under Thalia's strong gaze for a long time. She seemed to be scrutinizing everything about him—the bruise on his cheek, the light tint of red that covered his entire face, the upward twitch of his lips. And then she pulled him into a tight hug, and he chuckled, patting her back.

"You're still an idiot." Her voice came out muffled by his chest.

"I know." Jason glanced at Annabeth, holding out one arm. "Come on, Annie. Group hug."

She rolled her eyes but stepped into his embrace without hesitation, squishing her face against his chest. He let out a content sigh. "You're my girls," he muttered.

Annabeth pulled back for a brief second, smiling up at him. Her gray eyes were twinkling. "I'm pretty sure you're missing one," she teased. Thalia pulled away, too, grinning at him.

"Go get her, tiger."

* * *

><p>Jason was <em>not <em>ready to go through with this. Why'd he agree to do it in the first place? He wasn't really sure.

Piper was somewhere on the eleventh floor of the building across from him, probably sulking or something, and it was partly because of him. Scratch that, it was _all _because of him. If he hadn't gotten angry at her, then she wouldn't have broken up with her, and then Dylan wouldn't have made a move on her, because she obviously would have still been dating him, and—

He ran an agitated hand through his hair, slamming his head back against the seat. A thousand possibilities were running through his mind. What if Piper kicked him out? Or what if Jane decided to add another bruise to his current collection?

If Piper wasn't even _home_, then that would be pretty awkward.

Jason's expression must have been pretty interesting, because he caught a few people coming out of the condo complex and looking at him funny. Eventually, he built up the guts to go and at least try to talk to her. Maybe they wouldn't even get back together. He would have _loved _for them to get back together, but a friendship was better than nothing.

Sara was there, at the reception desk. Was she always there?

"Jason?" Sara seemed confused, as if she wasn't expecting him to be there. And she probably wasn't, if she knew what had happened. "What are you doing here? Here to see—"

"Piper," Jason said hastily, and he continued on before she could say anything. "And I know that we broke up, but I just really _need _to talk to her, which sounds weird, but I promise that there's a good reason, and ..."

Sara smiled at him. "Don't tell _me _why," she said. She leaned down and said something into the intercom. "They weren't expecting you, but go on up. And don't mess up."

Well, that made Jason nervous.

He nodded and stepped into the elevator. His hand was shaking as he reached out and pressed the 'eleven' button. There were a few other people in the elevator—two parents and a little girl with a big smile and a gap between her two front teeth. Jason smiled at her.

"Are you new here?" The mom asked, which startled him. "I don't think I've ever seen you around before."

"Uh, no," Jason replied. "I'm here for a ... a friend."

The dad raised his eyebrows. "Ah, yes. It's a girl, isn't it?"

"... yeah."

"Oh, good luck with that." He swung an arm around his wife's shoulders and another around the small frame of his daughter. "It took a long while to get Lizzy here to understand my feelings for her. It happened eventually, but it took _forever_."

"Bob!" The woman—_Lizzy_, apparently—scolded, swatting him on the arm.

Needless to say, Jason was pretty relieved when they got out on the seventh floor.

The elevator seemed to slow down from there. With each floor, Jason grew more nervous, until finally, the doors opened, and he stepped out onto the eleventh floor. He would have much preferred it if her condo was a bit farther down. It'd give him more time to relax a bit.

He came to an internal struggle as he stood in front of Piper's door. Should he knock? Of _course _he should, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. His hand hovered over the door, clenched in a fist, but before he could knock, the door swung open.

"Jason," Jane breathed. She was dressed in a simple pair of leggings and a plain shirt, something that Jason had never seen her in before. And her hair, too—it was down, flowing just past her shoulders. Jason figured that she was spending some time with Piper, which made him happy. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to Piper," he replied. "Please don't kick me out."

"I'm not going to." Jane brought her wrist to her face, looking at her watch. "In fact, I've actually got a quick appointment to head out to. I'm leaving in a bit, right after I change. But Piper ... she might kick you out. Just a fair warning."

"Thanks."

Jane softened and stepped aside, allowing him to walk into the condo. It was just as he'd remembered, minus a few tissues here and there. "Be careful with her," she warned. "She's ... fragile."

Jason just nodded. He shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to even out his breathing. It was just a talk with Piper. That was all he had to get through. And then he could leave.

"Piper!" Jane called, disappearing into a room. "He's here!"

Jason froze. Piper didn't come out of her room immediately, but when she did, she stepped out slowly, as if she were shy. She was dressed in a white t-shirt and a pair of shorts, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. It wasn't fair, really—she made _everything _look good. Without even trying.

She gave him a small wave and a slight smile, gently closing the door behind her. Jason grinned back, raising a limp hand in greeting. Piper's smile faltered as she noticed something. Probably the bruise.

"What—" She began, but she was cut off by Jane waltzing back out, fully dressed in a business suit. Her hair was back in its tight bun.

"I'll be going now, Piper," she said, rushing past them and picking her up her phone from the counter. "I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

"Bye, Jane," Piper said quietly, and just like that, Jane was gone. Piper and Jason were in the same room. Together, but _alone_. It took all of Jason's willpower to not just leave. There were things that they needed to settle.

"What happened?" Piper asked softly, stepping toward him. She extended an arm, pointing at the bruise on his cheek.

"Dylan happened," he said, cracking a grin. But Piper didn't seem amused—she reached out and placed a hand on his cheek, gently running a thumb over the bruise. It didn't hurt. In fact, it felt _nice_.

"What did he do to you?" She breathed. Jason glanced at her wrists, and sure enough, they were just as bad as everyone had described them to be. Next to them, Jason's bruise seemed like a tiny scratch.

Jason gently grabbed her wrist and took it away from his face. She winced. "I don't think that you're the one who should be asking that question," he whispered, slowly inching his hand toward hers. She let him take it, glancing down at the floor.

"I'm fine," she mumbled. Jason shook his head.

"No, you're not." He gingerly reached out and placed two fingers under her chin, scared that she would recoil. But she didn't, and he lifted her head. "Why didn't you tell me?" He carefully moved his hand and settled it on her cheek.

She tilted her head, leaning into his hand. "I thought that you didn't care anymore."

"Of course I do."

Jason leaned in. What was he doing? He wasn't sure. It just felt _right_. To him, anyway, but apparently not to Piper, because she jerked back suddenly. Jason coughed awkwardly as Piper turned, her back to him.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"Am I not allowed to be?"

"_No_," Piper said. She groaned, tilting her head back. "You are, it's just ... _why_? Why would you want to talk to me? After what I did? You were right, Jason, it was supposed to be a date. I messed up."

Jason reached for her hand again, but hesitated. "I'm here because I want to fix things," was all he said.

"That's not going to be so easy."

"I beg to differ."

Piper turned around then, her eyes narrowed to slits in a way of saying, _what's wrong with you__? _She wasn't expecting Jason to forgive her. But there he was, forgiving her, and he'd wanted to do it ever since she broke up.

"Piper, I forgive you," he said softly. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"I don't know." Piper ran a hand over her hair, tugging at her ponytail. She pointed at the high chair, next to the counter. "I'll explain everything, okay? Just ... sit down."

And so he did.

* * *

><p><strong>Whelp. There's some Jasper for you guys. And you guys get <em>way <em>more next chapter. Just saying. Heehee. Like I said, nothing bad is going to happen until the sequel. Heh.**

**Speaking of which, what point of views do you want for the sequel? Piper and Jason are going to be main characters, obviously, but I was thinking of focusing on the relationship between them, Reyna, and Leo. (No Leyna. For the most part. I can't write Leyna, but we'll see what happens.) So if it does end up focusing on the four of them, would you like to read from all four of their POV's or just Jason and Piper's?**

**Also, shoutout to _mindmybiz_, one of the few people on this website who's actually the same age as me. (_Divergent Daughter of Poseidon_, too, who is currently on a hiatus, so she probably won't see this. Unless she still reads. If she's really the same age as me, then she is an absolutely _fantastic _****writer, so please go show her your support.)**

**ANYWAY. Back to_ mindmybiz_—did you just get out of fifth grade, or is sixth grade considered part of elementary school where you are? I know it is in some places. Or some other school system that I'm not aware of? :) For me, personally, I have a late birthday, so I'm going into seventh grade this year! :D**

**BUT I LOVE ALL OF YOU OKAY. I HAVEN'T SAID THAT ENOUGH. YOU'RE _ALL_ AMAZING. MWAH. I GOT A BUNCH OF WONDERFUL REVIEWS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER AND YOU'RE ALL LOVELY. YOU SEEMED TO LIKE MY INCREDIBLY PHILOSOPHICAL SPEECH ABOUT SHIPS. (AND LIKE I SAID I'M GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE A FEW CERTAIN PEOPLE AT THE END OF THIS STORY. THE LAST CHAPTER IS CHAPTER 39 IN CASE ANY OF YOU WERE WONDERING.)**


	36. Chapter 36

Ugh. The _nerve_ of this boy.

In reality, Piper was more mad at herself than she was at Jason. Some of that anger, however, was now channeled toward him, because he'd forgiven her. Even if she'd _completely_ messed up, he'd forgiven her. Frankly, she wasn't quite sure why he was mad at him for that. It just didn't seem fair. He deserved better than that.

And then there was the fact that he'd gotten into a fight with Dylan. Because of Piper. That only made things worse. It was sweet, sure, but it still made her feel bad. No matter how many times Jason tried to convince her that he was fine, there was still that nagging thought in the back of her mind that_ he deserved better_.

Yet, there he was, sitting at her kitchen counter with an expectant expression that looked awfully adorable. Jason Grace, in all of his glory. Piper never thought that she'd live to see the day.

Okay, that was dramatic. But she'd said it once—or quite a few more times than once—and she'd say it again. She messed up. Big time.

Jason was still staring at her. His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion, the corners of his lips turned downward in the slightest frown. He looked like a sad puppy.

"Okay." Piper took a deep breath. "I guess I'll start at the beginning, then?"

"No, you should start at the end."

Piper tried to glare at him, but even she couldn't fight the smile growing on her face. This boy always had that affect on her. "The breakup started everything. It was my fault, Jason. I'm so sorry."

"Piper—"

"Don't say anything," Piper cut in, pointing a finger at him. He raised his hands in surrender, and she continued on. "I don't know what happened. Maybe it's just the fact that seeing Leo alone with a gigantic bucket of popcorn was unusual."

"Didn't he ever go to the movies with anyone else?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow. Piper didn't stop him this time—instead, she just let out an exasperated sigh.

"I don't know," she said tiredly. "I'm the new girl here."

Jason nodded, as if it was the first time he'd acknowledged that.

Piper leaned against the counter, shuffling a bit closer to him. "But, anyway. It was really stupid of me. First, to invite him to sit with us, and then afterward, to ... to break up with you. And after that, I was just completely miserable. I mean, Leo and I broke up on good terms. But you and I?" She shook her head. "I was so mad at you, Jason. I don't know why. I was just so angry that you couldn't understand where I was coming from. But afterward, I realized that I didn't really understand where I was coming from, either. Does this make any sense?"

Jason waved his hand. "Go on. I'll figure it out eventually." Piper cracked a grin. It was nice, how he was trying to lighten the mood.

"There was that." Piper paused. A swarm of thoughts danced around her head. There were a million things to say to him. "And, honestly, everyday after that started to become a living hell. I wanted to talk to you so badly. But, well, you wouldn't even look at me, and I figured that you didn't want to even look in my direction. So, eventually, I gave up.

"Around that time, Drew and Dylan started to get worse. They never touched me before, because I was ... untouchable, I guess, for lack of a better word. I always had a group of friends with me. I always had you. But after we broke up, everyone started to keep their distance. Just the slightest bit. Yeah, Annabeth and Hazel and Reyna were there for me. And I love them for it. But they would leave me alone every once in a while, just to give me some space. They thought that it would make things better. But in reality, I just became a bigger target."

With each word, Piper could see Jason softening. And with each word, Piper could feel more tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She blinked them away, avoiding eye contact.

Why was she crying _now_? Three times—she'd cried three times since the breakup. One was after the breakup itself, and the second time was when she realized her dad's movie was going to be shot in California. And the third, when Dylan had kissed her. Those were all big moments, but now? All she was doing was talking to Jason. And somehow, that gave her a boatload of feels.

"It wasn't so bad at first." Her voice came out dry and soft—a lot more fragile than it had been a few seconds ago. Jason seemed to notice, because he stood up, but didn't make any other effort to do anything else. "Drew's a bitch. Would have expected that much. And Dylan ... I guess, from that one time in Walmart, I should have expected that, too. Drew just made the occasional comment about my heritage. All Dylan did was flirt. Until, well, _that _time ..."

She subconsciously rubbed one of her wrists, switching to the other after a few seconds. Jason's expression hardened. He was still mad. "That threw me off. I should have seen it coming. Because he was touching me, and he didn't normally touch me. And then ... poof. He was kissing me. And Percy—thank the gods for _Percy_. I mean, we were never even that close, and I honestly can't believe ..."

Piper stopped suddenly. Something didn't feel right. She was spilling out her entire soul to Jason. He knit his eyebrows, reaching across the counter to grab her hand. The thoughts came soaring into her mind again. And it _certainly _wasn't helping things.

_He doesn't care. You're wasting his time. He deserves better._

"Piper," Jason muttered. He stepped closer to her and swiped his thumb under her eye gently. His finger came back wet.

Oh, _great_. She was crying again.

"No." Piper stepped back shakily, almost tripping over herself in the process. "No, no. I'm wasting your time. You don't care about any of this. You don't care about me. You deserve better. I'm wasting your time."

She repeated those three sentences over and over, like a mantra. Jason's expression was unreadable—stuck somewhere between fear and concern and sadness—as he tried to reach out to her, but she kept walking backward until she hit the wall.

"You don't _care_." Her voice started to rise to a shout. But she couldn't stop it. She sunk to the hardwood floor, landing with a thump. No one cared about her. No one needed her. She could have died right then and there. Would that have made a difference in anyone's life? No. Not even her own.

She must have started screaming then, because Jason was kneeling in front of her, cupping her tear-stained cheeks in his hands. He looked close to tears, and Piper couldn't hear him over herself, but she could see his lips forming her name.

"No one _cares_!" Piper shrieked, causing Jason to stumble backward. "Not you, not my dad, _no one_! I don't need to be here! I'm just another useless soul. And if I were to leave this world right now, then it wouldn't matter."

"Piper, stop it," Jason pleaded. Piper shook her head, grasping her temples. Was she going insane? She could have been. But she couldn't really tell.

"My father would probably be happy!" Piper let out a loud, bitter cackle. "Just imagine the headlines. Previously unknown daughter of Tristan McLean, international movie star, goes insane and dies. He responds by saying that she was just a burden in his life. Because he offered to take a hiatus from his movie career for her. And now that she's gone, he can continue on with his career and have a bunch of other one night stands with a bunch of other models. Hell, maybe he'll even do it again with Aphrodite and force her to keep the child this time."

If Jason was shocked that she'd just revealed that her parents were freaking _Tristan McLean and Aphrodite_, it didn't show. Instead, he grabbed her face again, forcing her to look at him.

"Piper McLean," he said firmly. He seemed _really _serious, something that Piper hadn't encountered very often. (In another situation, she would have found it hot.) "You listen to me. _You are needed_. Okay? And you need to know that. All of us care about you. All of us love you. All of us need you. And if you were to die right now, then I would personally lock myself in my room and never come out. All of us would. _Do you understand? _Piper, _please _don't do this to yourself. You are _amazing_. I love you. _I love you I love you I love you _and as cheesy as it may sound, I was stupid to ever let you go. I love you. We all love you. _Please_."

Piper stared at him for a long time. He had started crying in the middle of his little speech, and she had to resist the urge to wipe his tears away. Because if she couldn't even hold herself up, then she certainly couldn't hold anybody else up.

But, damn. Jason Grace certainly had a way with words. (Maybe that was the main reason he was the co-student body president. And he was a _junior_.)

She nodded rapidly. It took just those words to make her feel whole again. Jason gave her a teary smile and opened up his arms, and she gladly fell into his embrace, hugging him so tight that she was afraid he might burst. But he returned it with just as much force, because neither of them were going to let the other go this time.

Jason fell back onto his bottom, letting Piper lean into him. She rested her head against his chest, just acknowledging the fact that she was there. With him. And they were in each other's arms. And she missed the feeling.

"How could you love me?" She whispered. Jason looked down at her, his eyes blown wide in surprise, but before he could say anything, she continued. "I mean, look at me. I'm a mess."

A small smile tugged at Jason's lips. He turned her around to face him, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You're _my _mess."

"Okay." Piper chuckled lightly. She crossed one leg over the other and stared down at her bruised wrists, which sat in her lap.

"Piper," Jason mumbled. He tipped her chin up to look at him. "Listen to me, okay?"

Piper tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Gently, Jason grabbed the back of her head and pressed a kiss into her dark hair, under her ponytail, letting his lips linger there for a few seconds.

"I."

A kiss on her forehead.

"Love."

A kiss on her nose, which made her giggle.

"You."

And then he kissed her full on the lips, cupping her neck in his hands and leaning forward. Piper responded back immediately, eagerly—she'd been awfully Jason-deprived over the past few weeks. Here he was now, kissing her.

Neither of them seemed to have any idea what time it was. But neither of them seemed to really care, either. Heck, another day could have passed and they probably would have still been kissing.

Jason pulled back first, his cheeks flushed and his breathing ragged. "What time does Jane come back?"

"I don't know." Piper kissed him again, and he kissed back for a few more seconds before pulling away again.

"What if she sees us?"

Piper raised her shoulders in a careless shrug. "Let her."

He grinned at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement. Piper hadn't seen him this happy in a long time. "So, you want us to keep kissing. On the floor. In your apartment. When Jane could come home any second. Sounds dangerous."

"I'm a dangerous girl."

"That, I can believe."

Jason pulled Piper closer to him and pressed his lips to hers. And, just as he'd said, they stayed there on the floor. Kissing. In her apartment. And Jane? She came home a few minutes later, and she most definitely saw them. But she didn't scold them or anything, just took one glance and smiled.

Things were finally starting to look up.

* * *

><p><strong>idk what just happened.<strong>

**But, meh. Kinda pleased with this chap. For one thing, there's the fluff. And second, I pulled the "I'm a dangerous girl" card. Always wanted to do that. xD And as for Piper's little meltdown, that was pure impulse. Didn't know what else to put. (Is that the sign of a bad author? Probably. xD)**

**I watched Ant-Man yesterday (wonderful movie) and while I was waiting for the credit scenes (there's one during the credits and one after, in case you plan on watching it) I checked my email and holy fudgeballs I had so many reviews and I was so happy because all of your reviews were so nice and you're all amazing and mwah. I'm pretty sure we'll hit 300 reviews by the end. xD And another thing—this story has 131 follows. I just realized that's more than the amount of follows that _Mixed Feelings _had. Maybe it's because that story is over so people might have unfollowed it but oH MY GOSH I JUST ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS THE MOST POPULAR THING (UNTIL I GOT A BOY) AND NOW I'VE EXCEEDED ITS FOLLOWS AND OMG YOU'RE ALL AMAZING.**

**Wonder if I can get to 100 faves, too. :) Really close, 4 more to go! But there are only 3 chapters, so we'll just have to see how this goes.**

**I LOVE ALL OF YOU AND I'LL SEE YOU SOON.**

**(P.S. To _EchoL4 _~ Yes. My language is incredibly strong. Look at what our world has come to. xD But when your older brother is yelling "fuck" every other second and your parents are constantly swearing in both English and Tagalog because they broke something then things start to grow on you. Hah. :D)**


	37. Chapter 37

Piper had shown up at school the following week. And the best part? Not once did she let go of Jason's hand.

Okay, sure. That was a bit of an exaggeration. The two of them obviously had a few different classes. It wasn't like they could just stretch their arms through walls. (If they could, though, it would actually be pretty cool.) But whenever they were together, their hands were tightly clasped together.

Obsessing over them, for Annabeth, was a thing of a past. It was probably just a phase in her life, and now she was over it. Just in time, too, because school was starting to get more stressful. The end of the year was coming, which meant prom and finals and saying goodbye to all of her friends. It'd been a good run while it lasted, and she hoped that she could see all of them pretty often. When they graduated, though, Annabeth promised to be there. And that was for all of them. (Poor Hazel would be the only one left after a few more years.)

Piper and Jason were happy. Percy was happy. Annabeth was happy. Everyone was happy. All good things come to an end. That was true. A good thing had ended, and another one had started directly after it.

As for Piper's parents, she'd decided to open up to Annabeth at Starbucks one day. Apparently, no one else knew—except for Jason, of course—and the fact that Piper was telling her made her feel rather special. Even if she already knew. Kind of, anyway.

"So, um," Piper had begun. "My dad. I've never really told anyone about this, Jason being the only exception. My dad is Tristan McLean."

Annabeth could have pretended to be surprised. But instead, she told Piper about all the hints she'd unintentionally dropped, and how everything led to the fact that she was the daughter of the movie star.

But when Piper revealed that her mother was Aphrodite, Annabeth was pretty surprised. That was a different story—she hadn't been expecting that. She'd heard a lot about the one night stand between Tristan and Aphrodite. Surprisingly enough, no one had ever mentioned anything about a child. As time passed, though, it started to become more obvious—the way Piper had acted when both of them were in Paris.

"Promise you won't tell anyone?" Piper asked, her face scrunched up into a hopeful expression. Apparently, she really didn't want anyone to know—it would just draw attention to her. Not the good kind of attention, though, even it could have been to some people. The kind of attention where people were kneeling in front of you and doing all your work and complimenting your hair even if it looked like a raccoon had just mauled it.

Annabeth reached across the table and looped her pinky into Piper's. "Pinky promise," she assured her, causing her face to break out into a wide grin.

Prom. Finals. Goodbyes. _College_.

Annabeth had yet to receive any news from any of the Ivy League schools yet. She was a little nervous, but she figured that she probably shouldn't dwell on it too much. Besides, there were other things to worry about. (Prom. Finals. Goodbyes.)

Piper, Hazel, and Reyna forced her to go dress shopping for them. Which came as a bit of a surprise, because one: Piper and Reyna were juniors, two: Hazel was a _freshman_, and three: none of them even liked dresses that much. Well, Hazel was indifferent toward them, but the other two girls avoided them when they could. They were set to go after school on Friday.

And when Friday came around, everything just seemed a lot busier. Finals were coming the following week, and after that was prom, and then graduation. And goodbyes. Annabeth couldn't get over the goodbyes. Columbia, she hoped, would be the school that answered first. (Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to apply to _all _of the Ivy League schools.) After all, Columbia was the closest to home. And Percy was going to the local community college, too, and she didn't want to leave him.

Speaking of which, majority of the seniors—Percy included—were suffering from a major case of "senioritis." Annabeth was fine, but Percy just didn't seem in the mood to do anything school-related. It took a few kisses and twice as many blue cookies from his mother to whip him back into shape.

"So," Percy said at lunch, "as the end of the year comes closer, I'd like to invite all of you to my apartment for a prom party. Since Annabeth and I are the only ones going to prom." He gave Annabeth a pointed look. "Don't you think there should be a junior prom?"

Annabeth held up her hands. "Don't ask me," she replied, pointing at Reyna and Jason. "They're the student body presidents."

"No," Reyna decided, after a few seconds. Jason just shrugged. "Because then it's unfair to all of the younger grades. Everyone will have to wait for their own prom. That's the best way to go."

Jason shrugged again, jerking his thumb toward Reyna with a look that said, _just listen to her_. Piper noticed and swatted his arm playfully, with an exasperated roll of her colorful eyes.

"You know, Percy." Annabeth knit her eyebrows, and turned to face her boyfriend. "You haven't actually asked me to prom yet."

Percy panicked. "Well, I didn't think I needed to yet," he said hastily. "I mean, prom isn't until a couple of weeks, and I just thought that if I asked you now then I'd come off as desperate or something."

Before he could continue rambling, Annabeth kissed him. There was the sound of a shutter—she pulled away, and Piper was holding up her phone, a large grin spreading onto her face.

"Scrapbook," was all she said. Annabeth groaned as Piper was greeted with high fives from both Jason and Leo.

"I thought we were done with that."

"Well, you thought wrong." Piper's grin only grew larger as she pointed a finger at her. "_You're _done with it. But _I'm _not. Revenge, my dear. It happens to the best of us."

"You suck."

Piper's initial response was a hearty laugh, and then a genuine smile. "I'm kidding, Annabeth," she promised. "And I'll even delete the picture if you want. But take this as a warning—never make a scrapbook of me and my boyfriend again." She paused. "Without my consent."

"Wait." Jason frowned. "So you're saying that if she asks you first, then she can make a scrapbook of us."

"Maybe," Piper teased, and it was Jason's turn to groan.

"But, guys," Percy cut into their playful banter with an awfully serious expression. (Which Annabeth wasn't really used to. _Nobody _was used to it.) "Are you all up for the party?"

"All yours, man," Leo said. Reyna nodded. Piper, Jason, and Frank let out small murmurs of agreement.

"Are you sure Sally's okay with it?" Hazel asked. "I mean, I'm free. But isn't it a bit of a burden to have eight crazy teenagers in her apartment?"

Percy shrugged, lazily slinging an arm around Annabeth's shoulders. "She's done it before," he pointed out. "And, besides, she knows all of you. She _loves _all of you. So you're going to be fine."

"Hold on," Piper said. "She doesn't know _me_."

"Well, kind of. She's never met you personally, obviously, but I've told her about the Dylan incident and a bunch of other things," Percy explained. "So, she knows you. But you don't know her."

"That's creepy." Piper knit her eyebrows. "Nice that you talk about me so often, but creepy."

"Maybe it was just the way I said it. But, seriously. I'm not asking again. Are we all good?"

Everyone nodded, and that was that. The rest of the school day passed like a blur—prepping for finals, Piper and Leo complaining in between classes because they don't want to study, Jason and Reyna reprimanding them, all that good stuff. And then the time for _it _came.

Reyna, aside from Annabeth, was the only girl out of the four who actually knew how to drive, and she had offered to pick them up an hour or two after school. Her sleek black car showed up in front of Annabeth's house at about five.

Reyna rolled down the window and leaned over Piper in the passenger seat as Annabeth locked the front door. "Get in, loser, we're going shopping."

Oh, lovely.

"I still don't understand," Annabeth began, climbing into the backseat with Hazel, "why you guys have to come dress shopping with me. It literally makes no sense."

Piper twisted around in her seatbelt, turning to face Annabeth with a bright smile. "I don't know why _they're_ coming," she said, jerking a finger toward the other two girls, "but I've learned a little bit from my mom. Even if I've never really met her." She winked. Neither Hazel or Reyna questioned her, though.

Reyna drove them to Macy's first, claiming that they were going to stop at a bunch of stores later. But Annabeth refused to go anywhere else—she wasn't really one to obsess over dresses, either. As long as it looked relatively nice, then it was fine by her.

Another thing—as it turned out, Piper actually had a very good sense of fashion. It may have not shown often, but Piper helped Annabeth narrow it down to two choices—a long, tight gray one that was awfully sparkly but somehow managed to pull it off, and a white one that was just as long as the first, but Greek-style. (If that made any sense.) In all honesty, Annabeth was leaning toward the gray one, as was Piper, but Reyna and Hazel liked the other one.

And so they decided to ask Percy.

And Jason, because he was apparently at Percy's apartment.

"Gray one," Percy insisted.

"Greek one," Jason argued.

"Gray one."

"Greek one."

"Gray one."

"Greek one."

"Gray one."

"Gree—"

Annabeth hung up.

"I'll pick the Greek one," she said, sticking her phone back into her pocket. "Just to piss off Percy."

Piper winked at her and grabbed the dress. She'd offered to pay for it, claiming that she had the money from work. Not because she wanted to waste her dad's money. Or so she claimed. Annabeth wasn't convinced, but she didn't say anything about that. The two of them argued about who was paying for it for a while, with Annabeth saying that it was her dress and Piper saying that she deserved it.

Which led Annabeth to say that she wasn't going to be there to pay for Piper's dress.

And then Piper said that her dad would buy it for her.

But Annabeth pointed out that she said she wasn't going to use her father's money anymore.

Piper retorted by claiming that her dad would buy it for her because it was like him to do that sort of thing.

And then Reyna and Hazel told both of them to shut up, split their money, and ended up paying for the dress themselves.

"Sorry," Annabeth apologized, admiring the dress sitting in her lap. The top half was lying on top of Hazel, but she didn't seem to mind. "For making you pay for it."

Reyna shrugged from the front seat. "You didn't make us," she said. "We just wanted you two to shut up. And you didn't look like you were going to any time soon."

"I never thought I'd see the day when two people fight over who's buying something," Hazel said, and Annabeth nodded in agreement.

"Jason Grace has changed my ways," Piper said dramatically. "But, really. The boy's a freaking saint. Around nine months ago, I would have just stolen the dress. Although, I still might."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows, even if Piper couldn't see her from the front of the car. "Seriously?"

"There's a lot that you don't know about me," Piper said, and she left it at that. Annabeth would have interrogated her, but she didn't seem in the mood to talk.

Reyna dropped her off first and drove away.

It was Annabeth's responsibility to get the mail—always had been, ever since Bobby and Matthew were born. She stomped her way up to her mailbox, sluggishly opening it up and peeking inside.

Her hand subconsciously reached into the mailbox, but she wasn't really paying attention. Did Piper really steal things? It'd never actually occurred to Annabeth before. She'd never personally seen Piper steal something before, but sometimes she pulled out a bunch of things that Annabeth was sure she didn't have before.

And the other thing—Jason changed her. That was nice to know, especially when Annabeth was the matchmaker. Getting Jason to talk to her when she was depressed had been the final stretch of Operation Jasper. And fortunately for all of them, it'd been a success.

Operation Jasper itself wasn't very long. Just took a few pushes, a bit of trial and error—for example, _pushing Piper off of an escalator_—but in the end, everything turned out okay. Jason and Piper were a happy couple, and Annabeth had had enough of ships to last a lifetime.

Annabeth only really paid attention to the last thing in the mailbox. That was all she had time to notice, really. It was small and thin, feeling fragile in her hands.

And it was from Columbia University.

Annabeth almost screamed right then and there. She hung her dress over her shoulder and tucked the other mail between her chest and her arm, fumbling with the letter as she rushed up to her front door. Ugh, the front door. She stuck the letter in between her legs and hastily unlocked the door, coming unbearably close to falling on her face.

Bobby and Matthew ran into the entrance hall, closely followed by Annabeth's father. His eyebrows knit together as he noticed Annabeth's little predicament.

"What—" He began, but Annabeth waved her only free hand.

"Columbia letter," she said breathlessly, handing him the dress. His eyes widened. "Might faint."

"Whoa, Annabeth. Slow down." He laughed lightly, patting his sons on the back. "Take the mail, guys."

Bobby and Matthew reached forward and took the mail from her, running away into wherever. Annabeth, on the other hand, didn't move an inch. Her hand was awfully shaky as she gingerly opened up the letter, pulling out the slip of paper inside.

_Dear Ms. Chase ... I want to congratulate you ... School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation ..._

"Annabeth?" Her father asked anxiously. "Annabeth, what does it say?"

Annabeth looked up slowly, her hands limply falling to her sides. Was this real? It had to be. It wasn't a prank or anything—it couldn't have been. That would have been straight up _cruel_.

"Annabeth?"

Annabeth gave him a teary smile. "I got in."

* * *

><p><strong>Whelp. I suck. xD And I feel especially bad because people were saying how dedicated of an updater I was since I updated everyday. But it's no one's fault but mine haha. I just got back from my friend's house and it's just about twelve a.m. and my mother might kill me if I don't get up and start getting ready for bed but oh well. I'm sorry that there's a lack of Jasper in this. I just needed some Annabeth, since we won't really be seeing her for a while.<strong>

**Tbh I could have ended the story last chapter but nah I'm nice to you. :) So this is obviously Annabeth's last POV! *tear* She won't be a very big part of the sequel, since she'll be in college. Even if Columbia is in New York. And speaking of POV's, I still need to know if you want the sequel POV's to switch between just Jason and Piper or Jason, Piper, Leo, and Reyna. (Not necessarily in that order.)**

**And again, all of you guys are complete sweethearts. I also just realized that we have more followers than _The Way Out _by _Forfun100_, which is amazing. Even if it's already over. And almost 300 reviews. And one more to 100 faves. OH MY GOSH.**


	38. Chapter 38

"Love is stupid."

Jason frowned. "What?"

"Love is stupid," Piper repeated. She twisted around in his arms to face him, a small smile playing on her lips. "But I like stupid things."

"Oh, really?" Jason teased. "Like what stupid things?"

"You."

"Hey!"

A light laugh escaped Piper's lips, and she leaned forward, pressing her lips to Jason's. Maybe she'd just called him stupid. But he didn't even care anymore.

Piper pulled back. "You're _very_ stupid," she said, as if it should have been a compliment. "Stupid enough to eat a stapler. Stupid enough to pick a fight with Dylan Ventum."

Her lips floated over his face, gently pressing kisses against his skin. The scar above his upper lip, the spot between his eyebrows, the tip of his nose.

"Stupid enough to think that young love never lasts," she muttered, planting a kiss on the corner of his mouth. Jason gently tilted her head and brought his lips to hers.

"In my defense," he mumbled between small kisses, "you thought the same thing."

"Then I guess we were both wrong," Piper breathed. Her hand trailed up his neck and gripped his hair as her mouth collided with his. She had turned around and rested her legs on either side of him, casually sitting on his lap.

Jason came to the conclusion that if you cared enough, then young love could _certainly_ last.

"Ew! My eyes! PDA!"

Piper jerked backward, almost falling back onto the coffee table. On instinct, Jason reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. The whole escalator situation had taught him a few things.

Leo and Reyna were standing at the door. Reyna only looked vaguely amused, but Leo's hands were covering his face. His brown eyes peeked through his skinny fingers.

"W—what—" Jason stammered, only slightly loosening his grip on Piper. "How'd you even get in here?"

Leo held brought one hand away from his face. Something shined in his fingers—a key. "Thalia loves me," he said. Almost shyly, he pried the other hand from his face, his eyes wide.

"She doesn't, actually," Reyna said. "I'm almost positive that she hates you."

"Gee, thanks."

Reyna gave him a cheeky smile. "My pleasure, Valdez," she joked, tipping an imaginary hat.

"I hate to interrupt your little moment," Piper said, causing them to complain, "but, uh, Leo? You've kissed me yourself. In public."

"That is true, Beauty Queen," Leo acknowledged, taking off his shoes and throwing them to the side. Reyna did the same, but gentler.

"Hypocrite." Piper swung her legs over Jason's lap, flopping down next to him on the couch.

"That's a big word and I don't know what it means," Leo deadpanned, and he sat down next to Piper, slinging an arm around her shoulders. Reyna plopped herself down on the other side of Jason.

"Um," Jason said, "not to be rude, but what are you guys doing here?"

"Stopping you from doing inappropriate things on your couch," Reyna answered. Leo reached across Jason and Piper to give her a high five.

"No, but—" Jason's phone started to vibrate in his pocket. Telling everyone to shut up—even if no one was actually talking—he reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone. It was Percy.

"What's up?" He asked, but Leo yelled before Percy could answer.

"Come back to bed," he drawled in his best seductive tone, trying to hold in his laughter. Piper brightened. Oh, _great_. She caught on.

"Put your pants back on!" She cried. The two of them collapsed into a fit of snickers, and Jason groaned. He glanced at Reyna, who seemed to be the only nice person in the room—her hand was covering her mouth, trying to stifle laughter.

"Leo and Piper are being idiots," he apologized, earning a light slap on the arm from his girlfriend. "Anyway, what's up?"

"Come to Annabeth's house," Percy said breathlessly, his voice raspy. There was some background noise—a bit of shuffling, someone crying. Jason was immediately worried.

"What happened?" He demanded.

All Percy said before he hung up was, "come," which led Jason to wonder if he'd been possessed by a ghost or something.

"Well?" Piper said, and Jason realized that he'd been staring at the wall. "What did he say?"

"Um." Jason shot to his feet, causing Piper to fall back onto Leo in surprise. "Um, I have to go. Shit, we have to go. Come on."

"Jason, what's going on?"

"I don't know," he replied truthfully. Hastily, he tugged at Piper's wrist, forcing her to her feet. "We have to get to Annabeth's house. Look, Percy didn't tell me why, just—come on!"

"We just saw her," Reyna muttered, and Piper nodded her head in agreement. They'd gone dress shopping together, even if Annabeth was the only one who actually needed a dress. At one point, they'd called Percy to ask for his opinion, but Jason was at his apartment. As it turned out, the Greek dress won. Jason couldn't wait to rub it in Percy's face.

Piper called shotgun, much to Leo's annoyance. The two of them bickered about it all the way to Annabeth's house, and for no reason, really. Occasionally, Jason's eyes would meet Reyna's in the rear-view mirror. _Dimwits_, she seemed to be saying.

Annabeth's father answered the door. Jason found it amusing, the fact that Mr. Chase was completely oblivious of his daughter passionately making out with her boyfriend behind him. He didn't even notice Leo's disgusted expression. Things could easily go from "public displays of affection" to "public displays of baby-making." And Jason was sure that none of them wanted to see that.

"Jason, my boy," Mr. Chase said, patting him on the back. "Percy called you, right?"

Jason nodded. "Yes, sir," he replied politely. "Um, can I ask why?"

Mr. Chase shot him a bright smile, the corners of his eyes twinkling. "She'll tell you herself. Come on in, kids. Make yourselves at home."

"Percy looks like he's doing more than making himself at home," Piper muttered under her breath. Reyna sent her a look as the four of them stepped into the house. "What?"

"Hush," Reyna hissed, jerking her thumb toward Mr. Chase, who was shutting the door.

Piper just shrugged. "Ew! My eyes! PDA!" She mocked, giving Leo a pointed look.

"This is worse than you two," was all Leo said in return, poking Jason's arm.

Annabeth broke away from the kiss. Her face was flushed, her chest heaving up and down. "Oh, sorry," she muttered. "Didn't notice that you guys came in."

"Ah, sure you didn't. Couldn't hear the door opening over the sound of your erotic moans."

"_Leo_!"

"Ow! Jeez, sorry."

Jason glanced behind him. Mr. Chase seemed to have disappeared, vanished into thin air, walked through the wall, _whatever_. His departure fully allowed the six of them to talk as dirty as they wanted to—though, from the looks of it, Leo was the only one who seemed to want to—but before they could, Annabeth pulled something out of her pocket. A letter.

"I got this," Annabeth breathed, "in the mail earlier."

"Oh, really?" Leo said dryly. "I couldn't tell. I thought you found it in a swimming pool."

"Would you _shut up_?" Reyna groaned, slapping the palm of her hand against her forehead.

As she twirled the letter between her fingers, Annabeth gave Reyna a mixed expression of sympathy and gratitude. "In case you couldn't tell," she said, "this letter is from Columbia. Not a swimming pool."

"Columbia?" Jason asked. He raised his eyebrows, glancing at Piper. Her eyes were sparkling as she suppressed a smile—she seemed to figure out what was going on. Jason was still pretty clueless. Leo muttered something under his breath, and Reyna swatted his arm.

Jason would have asked her about it, but Percy gave him the answer. (Unintentionally, it seemed.) "She got in!" He exclaimed, jumping and pumping his fist.

"Percy," Annabeth scolded, even if she was smiling. "I was getting there!"

"Sorry." Percy smiled sheepishly and pulled her in for another kiss, quicker this time. When they pulled away, Piper launched herself on Annabeth, Reyna following shortly after. Annabeth stumbled back into a wall.

And then Percy engulfed Leo and Jason in a hug. Which was kinda awkward. Jason stiffened, but Leo rubbed his cheek against Percy's t-shirt as if he were some sort of teddy bear.

"You idiot!" Piper yelled. Jason pried himself off of Percy and wrapped his arms around Annabeth first, and then Piper. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Like I said." Annabeth smiled. Her gray eyes twinkled with excitement. "I was getting there. Now, who wants cake?"

"What kind of cake?" Leo asked.

"Cake," was all Annabeth said in response.

* * *

><p>"My first double coffee date. This is wonderful."<p>

Reyna flushed immediately. She ducked behind her coffee cup, pulling stray strands of hair and covering her face with them. "It's not a _date_," she complained. "Leo and I aren't dating!"

"We aren't?" Leo asked, staring at her blankly.

Reyna reached out and slapped his chest.

"Kidding," he wheezed.

Piper laughed. She leaned her head on Jason's shoulder, fiddling with his fingers. "Okay, fine," she said. "You're not dating."

"Thank you, Piper." Reyna straightened. Her cheeks were still tinted with a light pink, but she shook away the small wisps of hair. "What even happened to your girlfriend, anyway? What was her name? Callus?"

Leo shot her a tight smile. "_Calypso_," he corrected. "Callie, for short. She, ah, moved away. I don't even know where, to be honest. But she said she'd come back to New York at some point. Doesn't know where, though ..." Leo trailed off, staring at the window with a wistful expression.

"How romantic," Piper teased, but he didn't seem to be listening. She turned to Reyna. "What about you? If you're not dating this doofus, then ..." She waved her hands.

"Um." Reyna reached up and gently patted the back of her head, trailing her hand down her entire braid. "I think I plan on staying single."

"That's no way to be, Rey," Jason said, mockingly sad. Frankly, he half-expected Reyna to glare at him, but instead, she just raised an eyebrow, as if to say _are you serious?_

"Kinda done with boys," she admitted. "Not that I don't like them. You're all wonderful. Well, except for Leo."

"Hey!" Leo snapped out of his trance. He was looking at Reyna with the most genuine offended expression Jason had seen in a while.

Reyna only shrugged, ruffling his hair. "Sorry," she said, even if she didn't sound the slightest bit sorry. Her lips broke out into a wide smile as Leo folded his arms over his chest and scrunched his eyebrows in annoyance.

"So, you're always going to be single?" Piper questioned, poking Reyna's leg with her foot. "Like, _always_? As in, forever?"

"No, always as in four days, six hours, nine minutes, and twenty-four seconds."

Piper glared at her. "You know what I mean."

"Well, to be honest, I'm not really sure. Maybe someday," Reyna mused. She picked at her bagel, popping small pieces into her mouth. "But ... I just haven't really found the right guy. Anyway, I'm not going to dwell on it. We have other things to worry about. Like the fact that we're all going to be _seniors _next year."

Leo raised his eyebrows. "So? We were juniors this year. And last year, we were sophomores. Oh, and I'm not sure if you knew this, Reyna dear, but two years ago, we were freshmen! Have I blown your mind yet?"

Reyna rolled her eyes in sheer annoyance. "See, this is why I said that you weren't wonderful," she said, shoving him off his stool. "But, seriously. Senior year. And after that, we'll all be gone. Spread all over the world."

"Eh, can't be too sure about that." Piper gestured toward Leo, who was struggling to get back onto his stool. "I don't think he's going to get very far."

"You're rude," Leo mumbled as he regained his balance. He looked at Jason, asking for backup, but he just laughed. (What a great friend he was.)

"Thank you," Piper said, almost sincerely. "I think that we should make our senior year extraordinary. Better than Annabeth's anyway. I don't want to spend my senior year obsessing over boats and oversized toilet paper and _whatever_."

Reyna chuckled. "Exactly. We have a lot going for all of us. Well, except for maybe Leo."

Leo slammed his head against the table.

"A bucket list," Jason said, nonchalantly grabbing a fistful of Leo's hair and pulling him into an upright position. "We should make a bucket list. Of all the things that we want to get done in senior year."

"Yeah." Reyna nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea."

"Senior prank?" Piper said hopefully, staring up at Jason with dazzling green eyes. _Damn _it, why did she have to do that? It wasn't fair. Not everyone could just magically change their eye color and pull off Percy's baby seal eyes.

Color rushed to Jason's cheeks as he awkwardly scratched his neck. "Um," he said. "Well, Reyna and I are kind of co-student body presidents, and I don't really think that we should be a part of that."

"Oh, come _on_." Piper paused. Her eyes slowly transitioned into a bright blue, identical to his own. But they reminded him more of Thalia than himself, because there was a mischievous glint to them. "Wait, how do you guys know you're going to be co-student body presidents? We haven't voted yet, have we?"

Jason could feel himself blushing even more. Piper had a point. If they wanted to keep the title, then they had to be voted back into it. "Uh, no?" He said, sounding so unsure that it turned into a question. Piper grinned victoriously, patting his cheek.

"In all fairness," Reyna piped up, "I know for a fact that we already have over half of the student body voting for us next year. If we decide to run, of course. They like us."

Jason smiled cheekily and patted Piper's cheek. She swatted his hand away.

"_Fine_," she spat. "But, uh, can we at least do _one _thing that's fun?"

"Oh, we will," Reyna said brightly.

"Like what?" Leo snorted. "Call in sick one day, but actually go to one of those art museums where a bunch of old people stare blankly at paintings and everyone looks dead? How fun."

"Valdez, I am going to take this butter knife and shove it through your sku—"

"Okay," Jason cut in, exhaling a nervous chuckle. "No killing each other. We've got a whole summer to plan this thing out, okay? We'll make things fun without pulling a prank on the entire school. Or going to an art museum."

"Always the good boy," Piper quipped. Jason stuck out his tongue. "But, fine. Have we got a deal?"

"Deal," Leo and Reyna agreed.

* * *

><p><strong>First off—311 reviews and 101 faves. caN I CRY BECAUSE ALL OF YOU ARE JUST REALLY REALLY COOL AND YOUR REVIEWS ARE SO SWEET AND GAHHRATHTR. GAH.<strong>

**ANYWAY. *clears throat* A lot of you guys wanted the sequel to have POV's from only Jason and Piper. I'll admit that I was planning on it to focus on the friendship between Jason, Piper, Leo, and Reyna—hence the last half of this chapter and the title _Operation Senior Year_ as opposed to _Operation Jasper 2_—with Jasper as the main pairing. Meaning, there would be a lot of Jasper in it, but there would be POV's for all four of them. But if you guys want a sorely Jasper story, then I guess I can switch things around a bit. Keep in mind that I can't make _everything _Jasper—because it is _Operation Senior Year_, not_ Operation Jasper 2_—but instead of focusing on the friendship between the four of them, I can focus on the romantic relationship between the two of them. Then I might have to change this chapter haha. xD But that's fine.**

**Also, changed my profile pic. All art goes to the wonderful Viria. Literally labeled it "my babe with glasses." I just think it's the cutest thing. (Not sure if it's showing up, but it was earlier.)**

**And to _Socially Awkward Taco_—honestly, I'm not really sure what Ivy League school I'd go to. I've never thought about it, because I want to go to Juilliard, but I heard Yale has a pretty good drama program. :)**


	39. Chapter 39

Life was good.

Life was also very unpredictable. It could go from perfect to terrible to just plain old confusing in a matter of seconds. But all in all, it was _good_. Things weren't always going to go the way we might want them to, but that's fine, because there's always something to make up for it.

Funny, really, how one simple year ended up being more excited than the rest of Piper's life combined.

Reyna was right—next year, they were going to be seniors. It had all of the big dates—prom and graduation, the things that could only be topped by marriage and the birth of one's first child. Frankly, Piper wasn't really sure how Percy and Annabeth had gotten through it so easily. To her, it seemed like a handful. But she was determined to make it a _fun_ handful, alongside her three best friends.

In this particular moment, she was sitting on a couch, surrounded by all seven of her best friends. Well, Jason, Leo, and Reyna were her _best _friends, and the other four combined with them to make more of a squad. (She thought that squad was such an overrated word.)

Prom started in a few hours. Traditionally, people were supposed to go out for dinner and _then _go to prom. (That's what Piper thought, anyway, but maybe it was just a stereotype.) Percy and Annabeth, however, were not particularly traditional people, and Percy had invited the seven of them to hang out at his apartment before prom, as opposed to he and Annabeth going to a fancy restaurant and passionately making out under the table until their waiter noticed and kicked them out of the restaurant.

The Jackson apartment was decorated not-so-appropriately, with pink streamers and Halloween balloons and large, shiny silver banners that read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" in red block letters. Percy had explained everything with flushed cheeks and a crooked grin.

"It's weird and crazy and mixed up," he'd claimed. "Just like us."

Piper wasn't really sure whether or not to take offense to that.

But she decided to go with it anyway, because soon enough, Percy and Annabeth were going to be gone (sort of, anyway, since they were both attending college in New York) and Piper and her three _best friends _were all going to be off doing whatever they felt like doing (Reyna had gotten awfully excited about it and Leo had asked her if she planned on running with scissors and then she socked him in the jaw) and Frank and Hazel were just going to sit there (because they were still pretty awkward around each other even if they'd been dating for a while).

So there they were, the good old eight of them, drinking from shot glasses filled with apple juice and eating animal crackers, because apparently, Percy had been oh-so-maturely hoarding animal crackers for the last month. The jar was bigger than Leo's ego. (Piper had said that out loud, and Leo personally took the time to compare the size of the jar and the size of his ego.)

"Okay," Annabeth said, once everyone had had their fair share of animal crackers. "We have three hours until prom, which means two hours until I have to start getting ready, which means one hour until we go out to dinner because there is no way I'm going to risk spilling food on my dress. What do you guys want to do?"

"Hide and seek," Leo declared, which caused a few of them to look at him weirdly. "What? It's fun."

"And you're three," Reyna quipped, rolling her eyes. "We are _not _playing hide and seek. How about ... truth or dare?"

Jason groaned. Limply, his head fell against Piper's. "Truth or dare?" He whined. "I hate truth or dare. The last time I tried to play truth or dare, you guys dared me to ..." He trailed off, swallowing thickly.

"Ask me out, right?" Piper leaned away from Jason, causing him to fall into her lap. She glanced down at him, offended. "What, is that a bad thing? You don't like me?"

His eyes widened. "_No_," he said hastily. "I mean, I just ... like, I wasn't, uh, ready, to ask you out? Like, peer pressure? You know what peer pressure is, right? They just kinda forced me into it and I—"

"I was just _kidding_, Jason." Piper laughed. She leaned down to kiss him, but considering the fact that he was sideways, it would have been pretty awkward, so she settled for his forehead.

"Hey, how did we get together?" Annabeth asked Percy, nudging him with his shoulders. He knit his eyebrows.

"Um, that project in sophomore year," he answered after a few moments.

"I knew that."

"I know, but that was when we first met. And then you called me cute, and you complimented me for trying. And I may or may not have kissed you one time. That was it, I guess?"

"Huh." With a slight nod of her head, Annabeth pursed her lips. "You were kinda cute when you were concentrating."

"What about us?" Hazel's voice came out quiet and high as she glanced at Frank. The guy blushed immediately, staring down at their intertwined fingers.

"Middle school," he said shyly. "We met in middle school, when you were a sixth grader and I was an eight grader, I think. But, uh, obviously, I didn't ask you out until this year ..." Hazel gave him a reassuring smile, squeezing his hand.

"I met Callie in the most romantic way possible," Leo mused. "I crashed my car onto her lawn and she started yelling at me but then she realized how awesome I was and we fell in love."

Reyna just stared at everyone.

"But honestly, guys." Annabeth momentarily stopped staring at Percy and turned to the rest of them. "We have to make the most out of this. This is one of the last times we'll really get to hang out together as a group."

"Dance party?" Leo suggested, his eyes flickering between Annabeth and Reyna, who paled considerably.

"I can't dance," she squeaked.

"It's worth a try, Rey-Rey." Much to her disapproval, Leo grabbed her hand and pulled her off the couch as Percy started to play some random hip hop song from his phone. Soon, Hazel and Frank had started to slow dance, which didn't really fit the mood, and Percy had dragged Annabeth onto the floor, twirling her around as she let out a bunch of un-Annabeth-like giggles.

Piper glanced at Jason, who was watching them with an entertained expression. "You want to dance?" She asked.

"Do you want to?" Jason said, returning her gaze. An eyebrow was raised in that half-amused, half-questioning expression that Piper loved so much.

She grabbed his hand, pressing a light kiss to his lips. "Let's dance, Sparky."

* * *

><p>The clock was ticking agonizingly slowly.<p>

Piper glanced at Leo, who sent back a large grin. Two minutes until the end of the year was over and summer started and everyone broke into that song from High School Musical. Mr. Green droned on and on, seemingly oblivious to all of his students tapping their feet in excitement. What was he even talking about, anyway? It wasn't like anybody was listening.

One more minute. Someone threw a paper airplane at Mr. Green and almost nailed him in the face. He stopped his monotonous rambling to scold the kid who threw it at him, but frankly, Piper wasn't even paying attention to that, either.

Leo reached across the aisle and hooked an arm around her neck, blocking off the aisle. Mr. Green didn't notice—he was still yelling at that kid.

Thirty seconds.

Whispers had slowly grown into "4-inch voices," as Piper's teachers in elementary school had said, and then into shouts. Mr. Green was looking pretty frustrated.

_Five._

Someone yelled out an inappropriate word.

_Four_.

Piper could hear Mr. Green slapping his ruler against a desk.

_Three_.

Tapping. So much tapping.

_Two_.

Leo's grip around Piper tightened.

_One_.

The bell rang. The room erupted into chaos.

People were standing on top of desks and screaming and throwing up papers. Leo pressed a kiss to Piper's cheek before darting out of the room as fast as a bullet, leaving her in the dust.

Jason burst into the room suddenly, his eyes traveling around the room with a different kind of spark to them. (Crazy, almost. It was entertaining.) His eyes landed on Piper, and he fought his way through the desks and the students. Before Piper could ask him how the heck he'd gotten here so quickly, he grabbed her by the waist and pressed her lips to his, just as the bell finished ringing.

She broke away breathless, her hands having found their way to his neck. All around, her classmates were still screaming and jumping and she was just wondering why they hadn't left yet. "What was that for?"

"They say that if you kiss someone on New Year's Day, then you'll be with them forever. Or something like that," Jason replied, barely audible over the sound of everyone shouting.

"It's not New Year's." Piper frowned in sheer confusion. Was Jason drunk?

Jason chuckled. "I know, but it might as well be." His grip on her waist tightened as he gestured around them. As it turned out, he was right—everyone was partying like it _was _the start of a new year. And, in a way, it was.

"I see your point." She kissed him again, just for good measure. "Now, come on. Let's get the hell out of here."

* * *

><p>The seniors were back at Goode for the final graduation ceremony. Piper was trying to calm down Reyna who was trying to calm down Annabeth who was trying not to cry because if she did, her makeup would be messed up. Percy, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen, which only worried Annabeth even more.<p>

"_Relax_," Piper said forcefully, and much to her surprise, Annabeth stopped hyperventilating. Though, given time, she would probably start doing it again, especially if Percy didn't show up soon.

"Jason," Reyna hissed, snapping her fingers in his face. He raised an annoyed eyebrow. "Where's Percy?"

Jason raised his hands. "I don't _know_! Why would I know?"

"You're his best friend!"

"So? I'm not his _stalker_."

"Guys," Piper cut in. Both of them turned to her. "Stop it. Reyna, help Annabeth. I'm pretty sure she's trying to put her robe on upside down. Jason, you go find Percy, wherever he is. Just because you don't know where he is now, doesn't mean that you shouldn't look for him. Am I clear?"

They nodded.

"Then _go_!"

With Reyna sending Jason a playful glare and Jason—very maturely, Piper might add—sticking out his tongue, the two of them walked away. Piper rolled her eyes, exhaling a long sigh.

"Kids these days," she muttered, even if she was younger than both of them.

Five minutes later, Annabeth's robe was on _correctly_, and Percy was standing next to her, holding her hand and whispering into her ear. The ceremony was going to start in about ten minutes, and the two of them needed to get to their seats.

"See you later!" Percy said, dragging Annabeth away. Which left six of them, all wringing their hands nervously because Percy was bound to do something stupid. Not because he tried to, just because he was that much of a klutz. (Leo had brought his camera, just in case. Reyna said that he'd probably be even worse when the time came around.)

They made their way onto the bleachers, which towered over the football field on which all the chairs were spread out. The seniors were all sitting down, a complete blob of blue robes and white tassels.

Principal Sylvester started off the ceremony with a simple welcome message that slowly turned into a sob-fest for everyone. She blabbed on and on about how amazing the seniors were, wiping a tear here and there. And then she asked the valedictorian to come up and say a speech.

Annabeth did _not _look ready.

Somehow, she managed to compose herself and get up to the stage without exploding into a puddle of tears. In fact, it looked like she was the only person that _wasn't _crying. (Heck, even Leo was bawling.)

"Cesare Pavese," she began, her voice ringing loud and clear over the field, "was an Italian poet. And poets, as you know, generally have a way with words. He once said, 'We do not remember days, we remember moments.' Days make up weeks, weeks make up months, months make up years, and years make up life. Days will repeat themselves, in the way that there will be good days and bad days and days that are in between. But moments are special. They are the parts of life that cannot be recreated. Because moments are certain times that are shared with certain people. And the memories will stay with you forever.

"I will not say that my time here at Goode has been perfect, because nothing is ever perfect. There are always going to be moments when we just want to lock ourselves in a room and cry. But, you know what? What doesn't kill you makes you _stronger_. That being said, I had a _spectacular _time here. I made new friends and I made new memories. Majority of the memories were wonderful, and the ones that weren't? They're just lessons, steps closer to perfection, because even if perfection is unattainable, everything is worth a try.

"Life is something that really can't be taken for granted. One day, it could all be gone. And I believe that the same goes for high school— if we spend all of our time here caring about what other people think, then we're not going to be able to enjoy what we have. A word of advice to all of the younger students—be yourself. And to all of the seniors—you've made it this far. Don't give up now.

"High school is, in lack of a better example, a roller coaster. It has drops, and it has loops, and sometimes, the ride breaks down. And maybe you break down with it. But in the end, you come off of that roller coaster feeling content. Whether it's because you had the time of your life or simply because you're _alive_, you're happy. And that's the simplest way to look at things.

"The ship has sailed. I don't know what the ship is to you, because it can be a lot of things. And a few months ago, for me, the ship would have meant two people that were most likely forced into a couple. But now, the ship is exactly what it is. A legitimate boat. And we are all embarking this boat, because this boat will lead us to the next chapter of life, whether it be college or our big break or just a simple life at home.

"High school in itself was a moment. And I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life."

* * *

><p>The eight of them met after the graduation ceremony. One would think that they'd meet at a fancy restaurant. But where did they decide to go?<p>

McDonald's.

Annabeth had taken off her makeup, because it was all messed up anyway, and she'd slipped out of her dress into a pair of jeans and a tank top. Percy, too, had changed into more casual clothing.

Everyone was still crying. Annabeth sure knew how to write a speech. Piper could only imagine next year's graduation. Sure, she wasn't going to be valedictorian—she was smart, yes, but not nearly smart enough to win that title. It would probably go to Jason or Reyna, because ... well. It was expected.

"So, Columbia?" Jason asked, in a bad attempt to start up a conversation. "Ivy League. Wow."

Annabeth laughed through her tears, wiping at her eyes. "Yeah, it came as a big surprise, too. I'm majoring in architecture." She waved her hands. "That's definitely a shocker."

The rest of them laughed, too, as Leo came up with heaps of burgers and milkshakes and a salad, for Piper's sake. And then they just sat there, eating their food and reminiscing. They remembered how jealous Reyna was of Piper when she first came to school, and the time when Piper managed to beat Annabeth in a staring contest. They talked about the shampoo incident and when Jason had surprised everyone at the Valentine's Day Dance by kissing Piper smack on the lips.

Later, Piper noticed that majority of the stories were about _her_.

She'd never really been one to ask for attention. In fact, she kind of _hated _attention. Obviously, she knew she was pretty. Believe it or not, Piper had looked in a mirror before. But the fact that she didn't like attention was the reason that she always tried to downplay her beauty, or never told anyone about her dad.

But maybe—just _maybe_—there was one person that she wanted attention from.

Jason Grace caught her eye from the moment she first saw him.

As awfully cliche as it sounded, it was true. Piper had always found him _incredibly _good-looking, and he was nice, too. Funny at times, but also a leader. If Annabeth was wrong and perfection was attainable, then Jason was perfection.

Over the year, she'd grown to like him even more. Sure, he had a girlfriend, and Piper had gotten herself her first boyfriend (Leo was incredible, but they were never really meant to be), but there was always the flutter in her stomach whenever he sent her a crooked grin or scrunched his eyebrows together or laughed at her for doing something stupid.

And then he was hers.

Of course Piper was happy for Annabeth and Percy. They'd made it through _high school_. Well, Annabeth was bound to make it out. Percy ... no one had ever been too sure about him, but he'd done it, too, and everyone was prouder than ever.

But just this once, Piper couldn't help but be the slightest bit selfish. She was mostly thinking about her own joy.

Operation Jasper, as weird as it may have been, had been a success.

And Piper couldn't have been happier.

* * *

><p><strong>IT IS DONE. WHOO.<strong>

**That graduation speech took a lot outta me. I might actually use that. xD**

**I _think _that I'm going to focus the sequel on the friendship between Jason, Piper, Reyna, and Leo. It just seems like it's better off that way. (Not to sound like some kind of overly dramatic soap opera or anything.) I apologize to all of the people who wanted a Jasper-centric story. But, you know what? There will still be a lot of Jasper, I promise. They're my OTP, remember? And, plus, I still have a lot of ideas for more Jasper stories. (My total amount of ideas has surpassed 50, I think.)**

**And just a couple of other things to expect from the sequel: Jason with glasses and Caleo. Yes, Calypso is making a reappearance. I promise that Leyna isn't going to be permanent—I might throw in a bit, just to mix things up, but it _will _end in Caleo, I promise. Reyna, on the other hand ... not sure if I can find a guy for her. I'll update this story when I get the sequel up, so you don't have to be following my account or anything.**

**A fair warning—I will obviously _not _be updating the sequel as often as I've been updating this story. I mean, school is starting. I'm going into seventh grade (I literally just typed second grade) and I have to get up even earlier, because I have PE before school starts, since I'm taking two electives (drama and strings, if anyone cares). Monday, I have religion class, and I'm part of the local youth orchestra, which meets on Tuesdays. On Wednesday, I have violin lessons, and every other Thursday, I have piano lessons. But, yes, if the sequel does go into the summer, then I will probably be back with my almost-daily update schedule. But if anyone actually took the time to read that, then thank you. xD I definitely have a lot more on my plate than I did last year.**

**But enough blabbing. Thank you thank you thank you _thank you _to everyone who's stuck with me this long. It's been an incredible journey, and I've had so much fun writing this story and reading your reviews. You are all incredibly amazing and supportive. And, as I promised, I said I would acknowledge some people.**

**To _DoubleSwords_, my weirdo fangirl shipper friend. Thanks for pestering me you idiot. And to anyone who watches Glee—an AU by me, her, _TheInsaneDemigod_, and _FondueIsDaBest13 _is currently in the making. :)**

**To _liaregie, CandyonPointe, Nightcorelover297, Socially Awkward Taco, _thank you for constantly reviewing and just ultimately making my day better than it already is. You're all sweethearts. Mwah.**

**To _mindmybiz, The Awkward Narwhal, songsaboutjasper, lavenderjasmine, Bellinda Cross, _and _VampirePenguins_, another big thank you to all of you for being regular reviewers. But I know for a fact that all of you have some pretty great PJO fanfictions too. So to anyone who's reading this—check them out, will you? (Also, _Nightcorelover297 _has some fanfictions from _Avengers, Young Justice, The Hunger Games, and Divergent,_ if any of you want to check those out.)**

**Sorry for the long A/N, haha. xD I probably missed a few people, and if I did, then I'm so sorry. But just know that all of you are incredible people and I love all of you. Another big thank you to _everyone _who's stayed with me for this long.**

**I'll be seeing all of you soon. :)**

**~ Jana Grace**


	40. GUHYS BIG NNEDWS

**_GUESS WHO'S BACK BITCHES AHHAHAGAHHAHA_**

**funny story, i log onto my ff for the first time in like three months and whoop all of my docs are gone**

**not that that really matters, because i started wrting operation senior year and the percy jackson project on my phone :)))) except if you saw my profile then you'd know that i was writing a story called broken and it was off to a ****_reallyreallyreally _****good start but then it got deleted yay. (it's liper, though, so i guess it wouldn't be too bad for you guys haha)**

**ANYWAY. ****_*CLEARS THROAT*_**

**So, it's really been a while. I'm really sorry about being MIA for the past, what, four months? As it turns out, my school sucks and I didn't get both drama and strings. I only got strings, but that's fine because then I don't have to wake up at five in the morning. However, my PE class is made up almost entirely of eighth graders, which pisses me off.**

**(If you've missed everything, I am ****_not _****an eighth grader yet. They scream a lot. Especially this one girl. She sounds like she swallowed a balloon.)**

**Anyway, my schedule has still been pretty busy, despite that. I've already mentioned my weekly routine, and I got into advanced classes (SURPRISE) which means a shit ton of work. Yippee.**

**I know I said that TPJP would be going up first, and I did finish the first few chapters before I even started OSY, but I figured it'd be a better idea to put up OSY first. After all, no one's really waiting for TPJP - at least, not in comparison to the amount of people waiting for OSY. I really do feel bad about not updating for four months. Oops.**

**Now, I'm going to shut up and let you read the story. It's obviously on my profile, and I look forward to seeing you guys again! YAY!**


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